You Are My Fairytale
by BlackthornUnicorn98
Summary: Medieval AU. Percy and Luke are two princes of the North Olympian Kingdom. Annabeth is a lowly servant girl with very strong and reciprocated romantic feelings for Percy. But with a royal edict, a prejudiced King, and a scheming Commander in the way, will Percy and Annabeth ever discover one another's true feelings? And what's Annabeth's big home secret? Rating for safety.
1. The So-Far Story of Percy and Annabeth

_**(Annabeth)**_

I wasn't anything special.

Just a normal, seventeen-year-old handmaiden, whose only purpose in life was to serve. I knew that too well; I was there to be a loyal, hard working servant, and nothing more. I knew that there was nothing particularly spectacular about me, nothing at all. I wasn't well-known, unlike the members of the royal family that I served. I wasn't breathtakingly gorgeous, or particularly skilled, or very well-liked, or even remarkably intelligent. I wasn't a social person. I wasn't one to stand out in a crowd. I was just me.

And right now, "just me" was getting extremely tired of continually cleaning up the messes left behind by the King's hounds that had been running about the castle all evening. It was quite annoying, and I badly wanted to suggest letting the mutts outside onto the trail or into the garden to do their business, but I knew better than that. I knew that I needed to keep my mouth shut, and quit fretting. But it was hard sometimes.

I'd served King Zeus and Queen Hera, rulers of the North Olympian Kingdom, for ten whole years of my life. Ever since the wee age of seven years old, when my mother left me, I'd slaved away, doing all that I was asked to do without complaint or question. I didn't find myself very familiar with anyone in the palace other than the King and Queen themselves, their two sons, the Duke, and a few of the other servants. When I was young, I'd dreamed of eventually leaving the kingdom to escape my screwed-up family. I'd dreamed that someday, I'd end up somewhere else. I'd be out of there, and I'd be able to live my own life, without anyone else telling me what to do.

Now, here I was, ten years later, in the exact same place, doing the exact same thing, working for the exact same people, in the exact same situation.

So much for living my own life, right?

"Annabeth!"

I jolted at the sound of my name, but recognized the loud, boyish voice immediately. I turned around and saw Jason Grace, another servant of the King and Queen. He was about three years younger than I, with sandy blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and a tall, muscular frame. I knew that his muscles had been built up over the years, as he primarily served the King and Queen's elder son, Luke. Luke had him doing more heavy lifting, welding, and other activities that required intense physical exertion. It was very physically demanding, and it was one hell of a task, to be sure.

I tentatively waved as Jason approached me, noticing that he looked especially cheerful. "I'm heading out for the day," he said. "Luke is letting me go a little early so I can be with my family for the evening. We're all planning on going horseback riding near Mount Olympus. Would you care to join us?"

"I cannot," I mumbled apologetically, staring down at the floor and fixing my gaze on one particular stone that was stained with a black mark. "I'm staying later tonight. Percy's got me doing some extra work into the later hours of the night. It's been happening a lot in recent months."

It wasn't entirely a lie, but it wasn't completely the truth, either. I _had_ been working late into the night, but it wasn't because the King and Queen's younger son, Percy, forced me to. It was my choice to stay in the palace well past twilight, scrubbing and cleaning and sweeping until my arms were like flimsy noodles, or my body was far too tired and achy to move. But I'd rather experience the pain of hard work that might pay off than the pain inflicted upon me when I traipsed through the doors of my stepfather's large cottage in the nearby woods when I got home.

"You say that a lot," Jason stated matter-of-factly. "More often than you should, I might add. Tell me, why does the prince keep you later than the rest of his servants? What makes you so special?"

I shrugged, feeling slightly stung upon hearing his last few words. The truth of the matter was...I actually didn't mind staying later, past the setting of the sun. The nightwork wasn't as hard as the work during the daytime. I had more time to rest, I wouldn't have to work as quickly as I usually did, and sometimes, I would get to spend a little bit of time with Percy. Granted, he would sometimes just oversee me in my chores, wherever they may be, before he retired for the night. But most of the time, he would sit near the area or object that I was cleaning, polishing, or dusting, and as I would clean, we would talk.

We talked a lot, and we talked about a lot of different things. We would talk about the weather, the good and the bad. We would talk about the blatantly obvious jealousy and animosity that General Hades, the Commander of the Olympian Army, had toward his brother, Zeus, because Hades had wanted to assume the throne. We would talk about philosophy, and poetry, and sometimes, Percy would even share some of his personal poetry with me. He was an aspiring poet, a very talented and creative one at that, but no one else really knew about it, because his parents-or at least, his father-frowned upon it. Percy had confided in me, and only me, that his father wanted nothing more than for him to marry a rich princess from an influential royal family when he came of age, which wasn't something he wanted to do.

That was another thing. Percy and I talked about his life...a lot. He told me about his brother Luke's power-hungry struggle and arrogant attitude, and how he wanted, more than anything else in the world, to succeed Zeus as the North Olympian King. Percy told me how he didn't want to be a king, as Luke did, and instead wanted to live his own life the way he wanted to, do the things that he wanted to do, and marry a woman that he loved, not one that he was arranged to marry for some other stupid reason. At this subject, of course, I would always get fidgety, but I was more than happy to let Percy confide in me. He was the one person I could talk to for lengthy periods of time, and the person that I seemingly never ran out of things to talk about with. I trusted him very much, and I allowed him to know almost everything about me.

Except, of course, my family.

Percy didn't really know a lot about my family. All I had told him was that I had two sisters, a working stepfather, and that was it. Really, no details at all.

He didn't know that my stepsisters, Clarisse and Thalia, would constantly order me around at home, making me do their chores and fetch their belongings for them, and he didn't know that they would threaten to rip up and ruin what few belongings I had if I didn't do what they asked. He didn't know that they would laugh in my face and make cruel jokes at my expense, and he didn't know that they would jab me with a broom and pull my hair if I complained. Truly, I felt like more of a servant in my own home than I did in the castle.

He knew that my mother had left me abruptly when I was but seven years young, but he didn't know that there was no explanation as to why.

He didn't know that my stepfather would consistently beat me to a pulp whenever he would see fit, or whenever he would get into a drunken rage and try to destroy everything in sight.

He didn't know that I had considered ending my own life on more than one occasion to try and escape it all, to end the suffering myself.

Percy Jackson thought that he knew me well. But rest assured, he did not know me as well as he thought he did. No one did. And I preferred to keep it that way.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

I snapped out of my thoughts, remembering that I was still talking to Jason. "Um, yes. Have a good evening, Jason," I replied.

Jason looked at me quizzically, no doubt thinking I was going crazy, but he left anyway, slamming the door of the kitchen behind him.

I sighed despondently, and turned toward the large bucket of steaming water that sat about five feet away from me, seemingly calling my name. Next to it was a large stack of dishes, and I knew I had to get back to work. Grabbing a flowered washrag from the shelf, I stuck my hands into the bucket and began to scrub.

The water was scalding hot, so hot that my arms felt as if they were burning in a fire. I wanted to stop, but my resolve was too strong. I ignored the pain and furiously scrubbed away at the fine china plates, spoons, forks, glasses, and other items that had been set before me. Before long, the water began to cool down, and it became more comfortable to wash the dishes. I relaxed, and gradually began to slow down, feeling even more exhausted than I had before.

"Maybe it'll be alright if I take a short break," I muttered quietly to myself.

Removing my soaked hands from the bucket of water, I slowly leaned back against the stone wall behind me, sitting down on the tiled concrete floor. The concrete was smooth and cold, and provided relief for my hands as I placed my warm palms against the hard rock. It took but a few moments for my palms to cool down. I let out a pent-up sigh of relief, leaning my head back, and shutting my eyes for just a moment.

"Annabeth? What on Earth are you doing, still roused at this late hour?"

I opened my eyes, and saw him-Percy Jackson. He looked the same as he always did, with his white, button-up dress shirt that was too big for him, a pair of worn riding boots, his normal black trousers, his long, shaggy, brown hair that hung loosely around his face, his swirling, sea-green eyes, and his charming, boyish smile that nearly made me swoon every time it was directed at me. At the moment, he looked particularly tired, and ready for a good night's sleep, one of the many niceties I knew that I could not always afford.

I scrambled up, particularly un-gracefully, I must say. I did not really want him to see me taking a rest when I was supposed to be doing my job. "Apologies, Percy, sir," I mumbled. "I was just taking a short rest, but-"

Percy held up his hand. "No worries," he insisted. "Please, take a seat. You're more than welcome to sit and rest, after the long day you've had."

I eased back down onto the concrete floor. "Thank you."

He sat down beside me, and I immediately tensed up. It always made me nervous to have another person in such close proximity to me, especially if that person was Percy. "You look especially forlorn this evening. What troubles you, fair maiden?" he asked.

I couldn't help but smile, and I felt a faint blush spreading rapidly over my cheeks. He often called me 'fair maiden', as if I was someone of worth, and not a servant. It always made me feel a little better, and he knew that well. "Oh, nothing at all, sir. Just purely exhausted from the long day," I replied nonchalantly.

"Annabeth, honestly, how many times must I remind you? Call me Percy. I'm not my brother, you know. I don't require others to call me 'sir'," he stated.

I detected a hint of bitterness in his voice, but what he said was true, of course. Luke, his elder brother, often wanted to be addressed with a term of authority. He'd always been that way, at least, since I'd been younger. I don't believe that there was ever one occasion on which I addressed him by just his first name.

"Apologies..._Percy_," I corrected myself, slightly embarrassed. "I know you tell me this often. I just seem to be very forgetful when it comes to those sorts of things."

"No worries," he assured me kindly. "Now, back to my original question. What are you still doing here so late? You've worked yourself very hard today."

I hesitated. That was yet another thing that Percy didn't know: he never knew exactly _why _I always wanted to stay so late, and he didn't know why I often chose to get up at the most ungodly hours of the morning, leave my home, and go to the castle so early. He didn't know the reason, and he was undoubtedly wondering about what it could be at that very moment.

"No reason," I mumbled. "I...feel I must make up for the times that I did not work up to my potential, the times I didn't try my best. I want to make up for that now."

Percy raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely surprised upon hearing my answer. "Why would you ever think that you did not work up to your potential?" he asked. "I can't think of a single time. You've always been one of the most hardworking people in the castle."

I noticed that, when he referred to me and the others, he said 'people', and not 'servants', which indicated that he actually thought of me as someone that mattered, someone of worth. The King often bluntly referred to me as a servant or maid, during the few times that I was actually in his presence. The Queen, however, was much more fond of me, and sometimes even called me by my first name, a gesture that I was quite thankful for, come to think of it. She was kind, and generous, and the few times that I saw her, I was usually in the presence of Percy, and she often addressed me similarly to the way she addressed him.

Almost like the mother I'd barely known, or like the daughter she'd never had.

"I have my moments," I said quietly, thinking back. Indeed, there had been many times when I'd not done the best that I could, or I was distracted, or I was too sore to efficiently complete the tasks requested of me. They often occurred on the days after my stepfather would get wasted and lash out at me when I arrived home.

Percy smiled kindly, and I felt the familiar warmth building up inside of my chest. It was a smile of appreciation, of genuine kindness, of sincere gratefulness. I got those smiles regularly from nobody but him, and occasionally a few from the Queen, and they always made me feel so much better.

"Well, _I_ don't remember any of them," he informed me. "I've always remembered you as the girl who went above and beyond in her work. Annabeth, you've always been the girl who did what she was told without complaint or any form of protest, and even cut the workload of others in half, just purely out of the kindness of your heart, and knowing that there was nothing in it for you."

The familiar happiness that I was feeling was replaced with a small sense of guilt, and it tugged at my heart, making it ache a little. Though part of it was for the purpose of helping others, the other part also had a purpose: keeping me away from my family that much longer.

Despite these selfish realities, I smiled weakly. "I do try my best to help others and to help you, Percy. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail miserably. But I'll try to improve. I promise."

Percy placed a warm, strong hand gently on the hand resting atop my knee, and my first instinct was to immediately pull away. I was too used to being touched in an aggressive way that was solely intended to hurt me, one that was not gentle at all, but I had to remember that this was Percy, not my stepfather. I knew he would never purposefully hurt me. At least, I hoped not. So I forced myself to hold my hand still, and he smiled reassuringly at me. "There's no need for that, Annabeth," he insisted. "You do your job perfectly."

It was really hard for me to believe him.

I forced a smile. "Thank you, Percy." It was a miracle that he didn't take any notice of my utterly obvious discomfort and apprehension.

His hand left mine, and he stood up. "Well, I think it's about time that I retire for the night. Why don't you do the same? You need your rest as much as I."

I shrugged noncommittally. Going home was the last thing I wished to do. He probably didn't realize that he was most likely sending me off for another scolding, another beating, another nightmare all too common in my everyday life. He wanted me to get some rest, which I knew that I wouldn't easily be able to do, but if it would satisfy Percy, I would try it.

There was nothing I wouldn't do for Percy.

He took my small hands in his own and easily pulled me to my feet. "Goodnight, fair maiden," he said, holding onto my hands a little longer than he probably meant to.

I managed another weak smile. "Goodnight, Percy. Sweet dreams."

He gave a slight bow and one more dashing smile, nearly making me melt into a puddle of goo for about the tenth time that night, turned, and headed up the stone staircase on the other side of the kitchen. The wooden door shut behind him with a loud thud, and he was gone.

Knowing that it was time for me to go, I quickly dried my hands off by wiping them on my long dress, grabbed my old cloak from a coat-rack that stood nearby, blew out the candles, and left.

The cold air immediately hit me, and bit at my skin as I ran full-force down the hill and into the woods. The wind blew through my hair and across my bare skin, chilling me to the bone, and I wrapped my cloak as tightly around myself as I could. The moon shone brightly over my head, but through the trees, I could easily see a blanket of fog beginning to form. I needed to hurry, as I knew all too well that the woods were the worst possible place to be on a cold, foggy night.

I began to pick up speed, tightening my grip on my cloak, and pressed on, doing my very best to ignore the cold, harsh bite of the wind. I could see my family's cottage in the distance, just beyond the cluster of oak trees ahead of me. _Almost there._

I slowed to a stop as I approached the front door. It was unlocked, as usual, so I hightailed it inside, shutting and locking the door behind me. Shivering from the bitter cold, I wandered into the small kitchen, with nothing but the candlelight coming from the table to guide my way. I removed my cloak to hang it up, and turned to head to my bedroom for the night, when I heard a deep voice from the adjacent room, stopping me dead in my tracks. My blood ran cold as I heard his words. "You're late."

_**(Percy)**_

My mind swirled relentlessly as I walked up the stairs, en route to my quarters, after the short talk I'd had with Annabeth moments before. I went over our conversation several times to myself, mentally rehashing each and every one of her statements, reactions, and the like.

Annabeth was one of a kind in my book. She was one of the few people who worked in the castle that I talked to on a near-daily basis. I'd known her for so long, and I felt that I could tell her anything, almost as if she were my best friend. And, believe it or not, I actually did consider Annabeth my best friend.

But I wasn't supposed to. No, my father had made it known, loud and clear, that he frowned upon companionships involving his sons and basically everyone else in the castle, especially servants. He did not know of my very close and personal friendship with Annabeth, but my mother did, and oddly enough, she supported it, which surprised me.

However, I will admit that she didn't know just _how_ personal my friendship with Annabeth was. I'd told her things that I wished no one to know, at least, not yet, and I'd talked to her about how I didn't want to be a pawn in my father's game. I'd mentioned on more than one occasion that I didn't want to enter into an arranged marriage, like Father wanted me to, and I always felt guilty about not telling him. But I knew that he would rebuff my opinion, like always, so I never bothered to bring it up to him. Annabeth was always there to comfort me, and tell me that everything would work out exactly the way it was meant to. She'd told me on countless occasions that I had control over my own destiny, and I had the last word when it came to my future. My mother seemed to be right in the middle of the two, knowing what I truly wanted but knowing that it probably wouldn't happen, and not really doing anything to help me.

"Percy, darling!"

I jumped slightly. Speaking of my mother…

"Hello, Mother," I replied, turning into my parents' bedroom at the top of the stairs. Mother greeted me with a hug.

"Darling, where have you been?" she asked, a little worriedly. "What are you still doing up at this late hour? You need your rest."

"I know, I know," I answered. "I was just finishing up my conversation with Annabeth, Mother."

At this, she gasped. "At this time of night? Goodness me! Why in the world was she still here? Was she working? Did she seem alright?"

"Yes, Mother," I replied. "She seemed fine, just a little distracted. She was just finishing up the dishes from dinner. I believe Jason was supposed to do them, but Luke allowed him to leave early. So naturally, Annabeth took it upon herself to finish them up."

"Did you request that she do the dishes?" she asked me, placing a hand on her hip.

I shook my head. "No. She did it willingly, without being asked. I was the one who interrupted her, actually. She was taking a short rest, but immediately tried to get back to work when I arrived. I told her that she was more than welcome to take a rest. I sat and talked with her for a few minutes, and told her that she needed her rest, same as I, so I sent her on her way."

"That girl works so hard," my mother stated. "She always stays so much later than everyone else, and always arrives earlier as well. She is a very hardworking, reliable individual, Percy. Does she know that? Does she know how much we appreciate her services?"

"I sincerely hope she does," I said. "I've told her that myself, but she doesn't seem to agree with me completely."

"My intuition tells me that Annabeth is just very insecure," Hera replied. "I get that air when I'm around her. She seems to feel that what she does isn't important, and that could stem from the fact that she doesn't really have many close companions here. Maybe you should take her under your wing, Percy. Help her live a little. Not as a servant, but as a friend."

I smiled at the thought. "I can do that."

"Now, hold on there!"

I jumped again, this time at the deep, rattling voice of my father. He sauntered into the room, coming from a stairwell off of the nearby hallway, clad in a silk robe. "I will not tolerate my son fraternizing with some low-life handmaid whose job it is to wait on and serve our family. I simply will not have it. Do you both understand me?"

Mother turned around. "Now, now!" she scolded. "Percy will not 'fraternize' with this girl. She just needs some guidance. Someone to believe in her. Someone to help her realize her potential, and let her know that her services mean a great deal to us. There will be none of this fraternizing business! What an absurd notion!"

I couldn't help but laugh. My parents were making the decision regarding what I should do to help Annabeth, without any input from me, and I was standing right in front of them.

"You two can argue about it all you wish," I muttered. "I'm going to retire. Goodnight to the both of you." With that, I turned and left the room, venturing down the dimly lit hallway and into my own bedroom. I let myself fall forward onto my bed in exhaustion, kicked off my boots, discarded my white button-down, and wrapped myself up in the warm comforter. I blew out the candle next to my bed, and settled in for the night.


	2. The Romantic Trip To The Lake

_**(Annabeth)**_

_Don't wake him, Annabeth. Don't be loud. Keep your measly self quiet, or you're dead._

I tiptoed quietly through the foyer of the cottage, cloak in hand, and stealthily slipped out the front door, barely making a peep, and shutting it gently behind me. The sun had not yet begun to rise, but I could vaguely see the beautiful orange and pink rays peeking out over the horizon. The sun itself was not quite visible, but it would be soon, which signaled that I needed to hurry myself up to the castle and get to work.

I took off running up the hill, grateful to be rid of my family for the day. Interestingly enough, I had this thought only every once in awhile, partly because I often made it home, up the stairs, and into my room without my stepfather catching me, and I was usually able to get out of the house without anyone seeing or hearing me.

As I knew all too well, getting caught coming home late came with a punishment. As I'd suspected when I heard his voice, Frederick had been up drinking, and the situation that often presented itself following was this: if Frederick was still up when I arrived home, he would swing whatever was in his hand at the present time in my direction. If there was nothing in his hand, he reached for something. Sometimes the item was a plank of wood he was soldering, other times it was his staff. This particular time, he'd had a tall bottle of whiskey settled contentedly between his fingertips. The liquid that remained in the bottle had splashed all over me when he swung it at me, and I'd waited until he was asleep to sweep up the shards from the kitchen floor, and pick the others from the wound in my shoulder.

This routine would usually continue either until I escaped his grip, or he passed out due to heavy drunkenness.

I pushed the events of the previous night out of my head and finally got to the top of the hill. The sunrise was even prettier than before, and though I turned to admire it again, it was only for a brief moment. I eventually turned my back on the rising sun, jumped over the locked gate, and entered the back door of the castle, as I always did.

As usual, no one was there. I was always the first one to arrive, and that was how I preferred it to be. As was my usual morning routine, I hung my worn-out cloak up on the rack, dusted off my boots, and searched out the list of my prescribed tasks for the day. I spotted it on a nearby counter, and proceeded to look it over.

_Huh. That's odd._

The list was incredibly short. Normally, it would take up at least a full piece of parchment, more than a foot long, but today, that was far from the case. There were but a few items for me to accomplish, and all I hoped was that Percy didn't plan to send me home earlier than he normally did.

I set to work cleaning the low-hanging chandelier in the royal family's private dining room, as well as the picture frames, the furnishings, and the mahogany chairs that surrounded the long table stretching halfway across the room. I dusted the fans, scrubbed the walls and floor, beat out the rugs, and hung a multitude of towels out to dry, and was done before I knew it. I wondered what I should do for the rest of the day, hoping I didn't have to go home, until I saw the last item on the list.

_Seek out Percy in his quarters._

I raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. _Why am I to seek out Percy?_ I thought. _I couldn't have done something wrong...could I?_

Nervously, I made my way up the staircase outside the kitchen, feeling more anxious with each quiet second that passed and thinking up all of the possible explanations as to why Percy could personally be summoning me. I stopped just outside his door, and before I knew what I was doing, I tentatively knocked.

The door was not latched, and it slowly opened with a squeak.

I stepped back instinctively, but after a moment, I peeked in. I saw no one.

"Percy?" I called, a little timidly. "Are you here? It's me, Annabeth. I got your-"

I nearly jumped out of my skin as Percy's head suddenly peeped out of another room in his quarters with no warning, scaring me half to death. "Oh! Hi there, Annabeth!" he said casually. "You're done sooner than I expected!"

I noticed that he was not wearing a shirt, as I'd previously thought he would have been, and willed my gaze to stay locked on his face as I nervously scrambled for an excuse. "Sorry, I didn't mean-I just knocked, and the door-whoops, how silly of me to-"

Percy, who was clad only in his boots and a pair of leather pants, held up his hand, and I stopped talking. He gave me one of his heart-melting smiles, and I relaxed. "Annabeth, it's alright. I know why you're here. I was the one who wrote your list for you this morning."

Relief flooded through my body. "Oh, I see, Percy. But why did you summon me here? Have I let you down? Have I done something wrong?" I asked cautiously.

Percy shook his head. "No, Annabeth. You've done nothing wrong, I promise. I've summoned you here because I believe you need some guidance. My instinct tells me that you've never really...explored outside of your, shall we say, area of comfort. I mean, you've been working in this castle for many years. You deserve to see the sun a little!"

I cocked my head, feeling confused. "Percy, I have seen the sun many a time," I replied. "I have ventured outside on many occasions."

"I mean it in a figurative sense, of course," Percy corrected himself. "The point is, you've not really lived a lot, Annabeth. It's not hard to deduce. You're stuck inside this place hour after hour, day after day, sunrise to sunset. You don't have many opportunities to explore the world outside the castle walls of your own free will."

I nodded, trying to understand. "So, what do you propose to do to assist me?"

Percy smiled warmly, yet again, and my heart did a double take. "I'm going to help you live a little bit more of your life each day," he replied. "Give you more insight as to what the life of the common man is like."

"Forgive me, Percy, but how would you know?" I murmured nervously. "You aren't exactly 'common man' material...you're a prince. Royalty."

"Yes, indeed," he replied. "But I tend to not embrace my heritage as much as my brother does. I don't acquiesce to taking after my father. I don't like to be treated as royalty. And part of not being treated like royalty is getting to do things on my own. Spending time with people who are not immediate family, like friends. Not other royals or people of high status that I'm required to be around."

"I see," I replied. Though I understood what he meant by that, vague as it was, I still didn't wholly understand his reasoning or purpose in doing what he said he would do-helping me 'live'.

He seemed to sense my confusion, and chuckled. "It'll make more sense later," he informed me. "Have you ever been out to the Lake of Eros, just north of the Old Wood?"

I shook my head. "No, Percy. I don't believe I have. What is the Lake of Eros?"

"I thought you might not have seen it," Percy replied knowingly. "But today, you will." He turned around and headed toward the back corner of his room.

I wrinkled my nose. "Percy, please. What is this Lake of Eros?"

He smiled, grabbing an elegant, button-up white shirt from his nearby dresser and slipping it on. He easily threaded the tiny white buttons on the left side through the holes in the right. "It's a beautiful lake on the other side of the Wood," he explained. "It's practically legendary. You'll love it, I'm sure."

I nodded. "Alright," I agreed. "Shall we walk?"

A mischievous smile appeared across Percy's lips. "No, Annabeth. We will not walk."

I raised an eyebrow at his words, immediately becoming more nervous, as he finished doing the buttons on his shirt. "Now, fair maiden, if you will come with me…"

Still feeling a sense of nervousness and excitement, I did as I was bid, and followed Percy from his quarters. As we descended down the steps, he stopped and peeked into Hera's room. "Oh, good morning, Percy!" she said graciously. "What brings you here?"

"Mother, I'm taking Annabeth down to the Lake of Eros," Percy explained. "She's never ventured that far, and I believe it will be a good experience for her."

The Queen smiled. "Alright, Percy. Just don't be back too late."

Percy nodded, and continued down the steps. I followed him all the way down, and he led me through one of the many back entrances of the castle. As he approached a small wooden shack, about thirty yards from the back door, I spoke up. "Percy? Pardon me, but where exactly are we going?"

Percy didn't answer, and instead opened up the large door on the front of the tiny building. He smiled. "Annabeth...meet Ananke."

The face of a beautiful brown horse appeared within the shadows of the shack, and I stepped back. Though the creature was wondrous to behold, and lovely to the sight, it still terrified me. I had never been in such close proximity to a horse before.

Percy opened the gate, and I was surprised to see that the horse had already been equipped with a long saddle, reins, and the necessities needed for someone to...ride it.

"Come now, Annabeth," Percy said, turning back to me. "You need not be afraid." He beckoned me toward Ananke. "I promise, I will help you."

I shook my head vehemently. "Percy, forgive me, but-"

Percy dropped the reins that he'd been holding, and walked right up to me. "I'm helping you live a little more of your life each day," he reminded me. "And sometimes, that might mean trying something that is strange or unfamiliar to you. I promise, I will not let you get hurt. You have my word."

Hesitant at first, I eventually decided to give in and trust him. Percy easily pulled himself up onto the front part of the saddle, making enough room for me. I stood next to the horse, looking up at him. Percy willed me to take his hand, and I did. After a bit of instruction, I placed my foot on the stirrup-at least, that's what he called it-and swung my right leg over. It seemed so high up to me, and I began to tremble.

"Annabeth, don't be afraid," Percy reassured me. "Hold onto me, and you'll be okay."

I wrapped my arms around his midsection, resting my head on his back, and was startled when Ananke started to actually move. I held on tighter, and Percy chuckled. "Don't worry, Annabeth. You'll get used to the feeling. I won't let you fall. I promise," he reassured me.

I nodded cautiously, and Ananke started down a long dirt trail. The longer the creature walked, the more relaxed I became. Percy seemed to sense this. "That's it," he coaxed.

If Percy could see my face at that moment in time, he would have noticed that my cheeks had turned a deep shade of crimson. I mentally berated myself. _Annabeth, give it up. Your feelings are all for naught. _I ignored that voice to the best of my ability, and instead began to embrace the serenity of my surroundings, which, at that moment, were transitioning from an open, grassy field to a dense, green forest.

After a few moments of content silence, Percy spoke. "You doing alright back there?"

I nodded. "Yes, Percy," I replied. "Actually, I am."

"It's not as scary as it looks, is it?" he asked. "Sure, it's a little unnerving at first, but once you get used to it, it's not bad at all. You really get a feel for the rhythm, don't you?"

I could only nod, entranced by the beautiful forestry around me.

As we rode along down the dirt path, the lovely sound of the chirping mockingbirds and robins found its way to my ears. The sight of the beautiful tulips, daisies, roses, and lilies along the sides of path made for a beautiful image, one that I had never pictured myself seeing before. And the redwoods surrounding us on all sides managed to shield us from the blazing sun overhead, forming a dark, thick canopy over our heads and keeping us remotely cool.

This was the most relaxed I'd felt in a very long while.

Before too long, Ananke began to slow down. I looked up at the trail ahead of us, and was surprised to see the image of a beautiful, picturesque lake slowly coming into my line of sight. The sparkling blue water shone brightly in the light of the summer sun, the ripples glistened, and every so often, I would spot a swan or a duck gliding smoothly across the surface. I rested my head on Percy's back again, entranced by the scenery in front of me.

"Here's our stop, fair maiden," I heard Percy say. My cheeks flushed again, no doubt turning as pink as the inside of the sweet, savory melons that grew atop Mount Olympus during the spring and summer seasons. I did my best to ignore the heat that appeared in my face, and held onto him as Ananke finally came to a gentle halt.

Steadying myself, I gripped the saddle with one hand and Percy's shoulder with the other, swung my left leg over, and landed somewhat clumsily on the ground, leaning against Ananke for balance. Percy followed, landing swiftly on his feet with the grace of a cat. He smoothed out his dress shirt, swung a satchel over his shoulders, and looked at me. "Shall we?"

I nodded meekly as he took Ananke's reigns and began to lead the gentle creature toward the sparkling lake. I followed, my curiosity growing with every lingering step that I took.

Before too long, Percy stopped. The tips of his boots sat not two inches away from the beautiful water, and I crouched down next to him. "You were right," I murmured. "This place is so beautiful. How did you know about this?"

Percy sat down at the edge of the water, trailing his fingers through the soaked soil. "My mother and father used to bring Luke and me here when we were children," he explained. "I always found it so beautiful and serene, and I never, ever wanted to go back home when I came here. Luke, on the other hand, didn't enjoy it as much." He stabbed at a hard clump of mud, and it broke into seven pieces.

"But how could Luke feel such a thing?" I asked incredulously, unwilling to believe it. "Lake Eros is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. It gives off such a peaceful, easy feeling. Who wouldn't love it?"

"Well, for one, Luke has never been one for feelings," Percy replied bitterly. "He thought it was a waste of time to come here, and so did my father. Because there was seemingly no gain from it. They've always been that way. Those two bastards are so very much alike, and so unlike me, that it's hard to believe that they're my family."

I hung my head. "Forgive me, Percy. I didn't mean to start such an unhappy conversation. If you would rather speak of something else-"

Percy looked up at me and shook his head, his long brown hair lifting in the gentle breeze. "Annabeth, you need not worry," he assured me. "I apologize for being bitter. It's just...Luke and I are so different, like night and day. We always have been, even since we were little children. I've tried to look at things from his perspective and understand the way he thinks, but I fear that I will never truly see eye-to-eye with him. Ever."

I gazed at him thoughtfully. "If you will permit me to interject, Percy, it seems to me that you have more of your mother in you than your father," I commented, folding a piece of grass gently between my fingertips. "You're gentle. You're sweet. You're sensitive. You want to relate to people. You aren't always hung up on why the napkins weren't properly folded on the table in the Great Hall last week."

Percy chuckled heartily, nearly making me swoon. "I agree with you," he said. "But there's one big difference that separates my brother and me. One that I believe neither of us will never be able to reverse for the other."

I cocked my head curiously. "And what is that?"

Percy sighed. "Luke has always been drawn to status," he replied. "Just like our father. He's always felt that status is the most important thing for any person. That's why he looks down on people lower or different than he."

"But doesn't he treat Jason with respect?" I asked. "He's a servant, too."

"He does treat Jason well," Percy muttered. "Sometimes. But only because of the Grace family's connections. His father is a military officer, and his mother sews the tapestries that my parents buy. So to Luke, they are people of some importance because of their respective contributions. Had Jason been born a peasant and not had the connections he did, Luke might not feel that way about him today."

I nodded, understanding his words.

"Myself, on the other hand," Percy continued, flicking at the water with his fingers, "I don't judge people by any kind of status. Whether they are rich or poor, whether or not they hold a position of authority, whether they are a foreigner to this country or have lived here for many years...whether they are a man or a woman. I would much rather judge people by the personality and character that emanates from their person. I want to know people for who they are, not what society tells them they are. And unlike my brother, I appreciate all types of beauty."

And that was the moment when his eyes landed on me. His beautiful, haunting, penetrative, blue-green eyes that seemed to stare right through me, as if I was a clear window, exposing everything that ever was and was to be. I felt quite translucent, and after just a moment, I looked away nervously, avoiding his gaze. "So, you and your brother have completely different sets of ideals, then." I traced my finger dazedly through the mud.

"We do," Percy said quietly. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, and he was staring at his shoes. "And though I suppose it can be beneficial to have the mindset that everything should be done exactly the way it was meant to, there are some good things that go along with not following the rules."

I looked up. "Such as?"

Percy smiled. "Well, as a prince, I was taught to be proper and gentlemanly at all times. I was taught to regard the rules with dignity and propriety. I was taught to act like an adult, and not like a child. But what fun is that, really?" Before I could even begin to think about what I was going to say next, Percy stood up, kicked off his riding boots, stripped his shirt from his body, and jumped into the lake with a splash.

I stumbled backwards as the lake water rained down upon me. "Percy!" I squealed.

He swam up to the surface, his head bobbing amongst the plants. "If my mother saw me right now, she'd laugh and maybe even stick her feet in. If my father was here, he'd sling both of us over his shoulders and march us back to the castle for some well-deserved discipline."

I laughed. "I believe that if your father saw you right now, he'd surely have a heart attack," I countered, imagining the scene in my head.

"That he would," Percy agreed, kicking around the shallow area. "Now, come on. It's your turn!"

My eyes widened. "Oh, Percy, I don't know…" I murmured nervously. "I don't believe that it would be appropriate for me to-"

My words were suddenly cut off as Percy's strong hand tugged hard at the hem of my dress, causing me to lose my balance and go toppeling into the water. I squealed and thrashed, the lake water immediately filling my nose and mouth. I came up sputtering, ready to berate Percy for being so immature, when I saw his huge smile and wide eyes, sparkling with laughter. I swallowed my surprise and annoyance, and began laughing at myself. "You prat!" I exclaimed.

He laughed jovially, and splashed his way over to me. "Is this not the morning you had prepared for, fair maiden?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well, of course not," I replied, feeling my cheeks burning again. "It's so much better."

_**(Percy)**_

Annabeth and I spent the rest of the morning, as well as most of the afternoon, enjoying our time at the Lake of Eros. We played around in the sparkling water, splashing one another and finding all sorts of fish and amphibians to look at. We climbed the surrounding trees, an activity that eventually forced me to admit that Annabeth was a much better climber than I was, even though I so badly wanted to deny it. We picked multitudes of pears from a grove of trees on the far side of the lake and munched on them contentedly, neither of us bothering to speak a word. And we led Ananke on a trek through a vast, beautiful meadow of daisies, during which I picked what I thought was the most perfect pink daisy of them all, and gave it to Annabeth. She stuck it in her hair and pranced around, giggling and proclaiming that she was a princess.

All I could think was, _I wish you could be _my _princess._

But I mentally reprimanded myself the moment that thought appeared in my head. As I watched her dance around the meadow of daisies with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, I knew that she was the girl that I wanted but could never have. She was beautiful, smart, funny, sweet, and loving, but the one thing that she couldn't and would never be...was mine. Because of my father's strict rules, there was almost no possibility that we would ever be allowed to be together, and I would have to go on pining for her as long as I lived. I just wished, more than anything, that this didn't have to be our reality.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I waved at Annabeth. "We should probably get going," I informed her. "It's nearly dinnertime, and my mother will want me back soon."

Annabeth abruptly stopped dancing, and I noticed that she looked a bit disappointed. The playful, fun glow had diminished from her eyes, and it made me immediately want to take back what I had said, to tell her that we didn't have to leave the lake after all. As she timidly approached me, I reached for her hand and squeezed it. "You know, this doesn't have to be the last time we come to the Lake of Eros," I reminded her, offering a hopeful smile. "In fact, this won't be the last time we get to do anything fun together. Believe me, those days are far from over."

Annabeth's beautiful face brightened. "I don't mind that at all," she said shyly. "To tell you the truth, this is the most enjoyable afternoon I've had in a very long while."

"I could say the same," I agreed, though I did feel a little distressed at the thought of our perfect afternoon coming to an end. But despite this, I motioned to Ananke. "Shall we go on our way then, fair maiden?"

Annabeth smiled, and followed me back to the horse. I easily pulled myself up into the saddle, gripping the reigns so tightly that my knuckles turned white. Annabeth clambered on behind me, situating herself in her seat and hugging me around the waist. I stared straight ahead, determined not to let it distract me too much.

As we set off into the woods, the sound of the birds chirping found its way to my ears again. Ananke slowly trotted along, and I began to feel more relaxed. Maybe this would indeed be the reality that Annabeth and I would have to face, but that didn't mean we couldn't still be in each other's lives. Surely, not even my father would be so cruel as to deny us that.

"Percy?"

The sound of Annabeth's soft voice emanated through the air, and I snapped out of my thoughts. "Yes? What is it?"

"Do you have any more tasks for me to attend to when we arrive back at the castle?" she asked, letting out a yawn. "Maybe something outside, in the fresh air?"

"I don't personally have anything in mind, but I'm sure you could help Bianca in the garden today," I replied. Bianca was another servant of mine, but since she was only nine years old, she sometimes required help with the tasks assigned to her, especially the ones that she wasn't as familiar with. Today happened to be her first day minding the garden, and I wasn't so sure about letting her do it on her own. I decided that it would be a much better idea to let Annabeth oversee her.

"That sounds alright," Annabeth murmured. I felt her rest her head gently on my back, and soon, her steady breathing was all I could hear from her. I let go of the reins with my left hand and held onto her arm, which was still wrapped around my waist, ensuring that she wouldn't fall off the horse and get hurt. I would make certain of that.

The ride back to the castle seemed longer and more drawn-out than it did before, but eventually, we arrived. I stopped Ananke right outside of the stable, and nudged Annabeth gently. "Wake up, fair maiden. We're back."

Annabeth stirred and sat up, letting go of me, to my disappointment. I launched my left leg over the side of Ananke and jumped down into the grass, stopping for a moment to steady myself. Annabeth looked down at me, and I took her hands, hoisting her off. She held onto me for a brief second, probably intended to regain her balance, before petting Ananke and walking away. I followed her toward the castle, where we spotted Bianca, cheerfully watering the flowers in one of the gardens. Bianca looked up, and immediately smiled. "Hi, Annabeth! Percy, sir! Hi!"

I chuckled. Bianca was so sweet.

"Hello, Bianca," Annabeth greeted her. "I'm going to help you with the garden today. Are you alright with that?"

"Oh, yes, yes, yes!" Bianca exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Annabeth giggled, and I smiled. "By the way, Annabeth," I said, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "don't let Bianca take any frogs home. She'll say she can handle the responsibility, but her abhorrent mother hates them. And I promise, we'll be the first people she comes to hit with a frying pan if she sees a single frog in her house."

Annabeth laughed. "I'll do my best," she assured me. "See you later, Percy."

I waved. "Have fun, girls. I'll see you later, Annabeth." With one last smirk, I turned to go inside.


	3. Poseidon Ships It

I couldn't help but smile as I headed up the stairs toward my quarters. Bianca and Annabeth were bound to have an absolutely festive time tending to the garden together, and the thought of Bianca trying to secretly take one of the frogs home made me smile even more. Annabeth was responsible enough to make _sure_ it didn't happen, but Bianca was ornery enough to try anything to _make_ it happen.

"That's _not_ what we discussed, brother! For the love of the gods, have some integrity, would you?"

The deep, gravelly voice of my Uncle Hades suddenly stopped me dead in my tracks. When he got angry, his bellows could practically be heard throughout the entire castle if one was unfortunate enough to be within its vicinity. I held my breath, leaned against the wall, and continued to listen.

"It is not my decision to make, Hades! Zeus makes that decision, because he is the King. You are not, and you should very well know that! I do not know what more we have to discuss!" the soft, intense voice of my Uncle Poseidon argued back.

I heard Hades repeatedly hitting a wall with his fist, and I flinched as the vibrations violently shook the wall next to me. "This was not how things were supposed to happen!" he shouted angrily. "Now I'll have nothing! My chances of ever becoming a part of the royal court are slowly dying, and it's all because of Zeus. He's a fiend. He should have never become King in the first place."

"You know very well that it wasn't Zeus' decision to make," Poseidon growled. "That was his birthright: to ascend to the throne after our father died. And you shouldn't dare say that you have nothing. You have been trusted with a high position of authority. One of the highest in the whole kingdom! You're the Head Commander of the Olympian Army, Hades. A true honor that not many people can have! Is that not enough for you?"

"Of course not. But look at you all," Hades groaned, the disgust evident in his voice. "You all do look absolutely dreadful, I must say, prancing around in those fancy robes and all of that steel-plated armor that you never use, while I waste away, making assurances that the soldiers are in tip-top shape and the arsenal is filled to the brim. And you all simply sit around and do nothing. You're simply a Duke, Poseidon. You regulate trade along the River Styx. You advise our brother on matters of state, something that I was always better at than you, must I add. But for me to never have a say in these matters of state, to never have any influence, to never even be considered for an opinion...it's almost discriminatory. Have either of you thought of that?"

Poseidon sighed. "I'm sorry you didn't get what you wanted," he murmured. "Truly, brother, I am. But things are what they are. And they aren't going to change, no matter what you do to make them so. You'll never be King. You'll never be a Duke, or an Advisor, or any member of the court. You are Head Commander of the Olympian Army, Hades. That's who you are, and who you shall be. So, it's high time that you accept that and move on with your life."

Hades took a deep breath, and for a moment, I thought he was going to say more. But after a few intense seconds of silence, he snorted angrily and flung open the door, storming out of the room. As he trudged down the stone staircase, he locked eyes with me for a brief moment, before turning away and disappearing from sight. My eyes followed him as he skulked off, and when I turned back, I was met with the friendly face of Poseidon, staring expectantly at me. "Ah!" he said heartily. "Percy, my boy! I apologize for that which you surely heard. He's been very up-in-arms lately, and you know your Uncle Hades. Never one to let a matter go, is he?"

"Certainly not," I replied.

Poseidon stepped out of the room. "So, what is young Percy Jackson up to today?" he asked cheerfully. "Do you require anything of me? Perhaps some assistance?"

I shrugged. "No, sir. I don't believe I-actually, yes. I do desire your counsel on a matter."

"Well, come and sit down, then," Poseidon said, motioning for me to follow him into the room. I shut the door tightly behind me, aware of the fact that a passerby would easily be able to listen in on our conversation if the door remained open. I sat down in a red, velvet-looking chair across from Poseidon, who smiled warmly at me. "So what is it, old boy?" he asked as he sat down. "Exactly what sort of matter do you require my counsel on? Is it a matter of public concern? A matter of science? A matter of state?"

I shook my head. "No, sir. It's more like...a matter of the heart, actually."

Poseidon raised a scraggly eyebrow. "Well," he mumbled. "Somewhat unexpected, I must admit. And what sort of matter of the heart do you speak of?"

I scratched the back of my head nervously. "Do I have assurance that what I'm about to tell you is kept within the walls of this and only this room?" I asked cautiously.

"In the sight of my gods and forefathers, you have my word," Poseidon replied, raising his right hand.

"Very well, Uncle," I said, breathing deeply. "You...you know that my father is very passionate about status. And he doesn't accept companionships between people of different social standings in his castle. That much has always been clear to us. But now I find myself in a predicament. I feel that I am...being drawn to a certain person of a different standing than I. And my father...well, of course he won't approve. I know this to be certain. But it's so difficult to quell these feelings, and I've had them for such a long time. What do you suggest I do, Uncle?"

Poseidon stroked his beard thoughtfully for a few moments. "Percy, if you will permit me to do so, I must ask...is it your older serving girl? The one you're always overseeing in her duties?" he asked.

I simply nodded. There was no point in lying to him.

Poseidon smiled. "If I may be so bold, I believe that you two would be an excellent match for each other," he affirmed. "If not for the social standing, which to me would only be a minor setback. But if you bring this up to your father, Percy, you must be prepared. You and I both know that Zeus does not enjoy when matters do not go the way he intended them to go. And you must be prepared for his consequences."

"I just do not understand," I muttered. "Zeus has had feelings for plenty of women before, and I'm sure that not all of them were royalty. So, why does he feel so strongly against it?"

"Because those relationships never ended well," Poseidon replied. "In fact, they ended horribly. But it was not because the women were terrible people. It was because Zeus never found any compatibility between himself and those young women. He tried, he truly did. But his experience being friends with or becoming involved with women of a lower standing than he...well, it was awful. I cannot say the same for myself, of course, because I do not discriminate, and I have more of an open mind than your father does. I did not allow myself to know the details within those particular issues, however, but I can tell you that this is the reason why he is so against such association. I suppose your father just doesn't want you and your brother following the life he chose to lead and the choices he made, for fear that the same pain, suffering, and heartbreak will fall upon the two of you someday."

I folded my arms across my chest. "I understand his logic and his reasoning. I truly do," I said. "But what exactly makes Father think that he can shield us from happenings such as those? Neither my brother nor I are small, naive children. Surely, we can think and live our lives for ourselves, can we not?"

"You can. But I suppose your father is just doing what he believes is best," Poseidon said sadly. "Maybe a part of him does know that the two of you are growing up fast, and that this is just one ugly aspect of life that he feels he can protect you from as long as he is humanly able to do so. Your father surely knows that he can't shield you forever, Percy. You must understand that."

"I understand," I mumbled. "I just desperately wish that there was a way of slowly easing him into the idea of Annabeth and me being together, or even being friends. He is not so fond of our companionship, either."

Poseidon sighed. "Your father is indeed a complicated man," he stated. "Anyone who knows him well would be an outstanding fool to question it. But he is not an immoral man. He cares for you and your brother deeply, in the same way that your mother does. But you don't have to sit by and watch your life be controlled by other forces, Percy. Express your true feelings to your father, but I must caution you to tread very carefully. These are dangerous waters that you are stepping into."

"I understand," I repeated. "I very much appreciate your counsel, Uncle."

"Of course, my boy," Poseidon replied, clapping me on the back and standing up.

I stood as well, being careful not to trip over the bearskin rug on the floor. Poseidon opened the door to escort me out, when I suddenly came face-to-face with my Uncle Hades again. A slight gasp emanated from my lips, and my breath caught in my throat. "Uncle Hades! What...what is your purpose here? Or do you have none? Speak!" I commanded shakily.

"Hades, do you require assistance of any kind?" Poseidon asked gruffly. "If you do not, Percy and I shall be on our way."

Hades simply shook his head. "Oh, no, my brother," he replied, his tone soft and condescending. "I've got everything I need. Yes, indeed I do." He narrowed his grim eyes and a supercilious smile spread over his mischievous, bearded face. He turned his back on the two of us, and began to walk triumphantly down the stairs.

Angered by this, I jumped a couple of steps and grabbed him forcibly by the arm. "Uncle Hades!" I bellowed.

He turned slowly, and looked up at me with a patronizing gleam in his dark eyes. "Nephew."

Slowly, I loosened my grip on him, and he continued his walk of victory down the stone staircase. I simply glowered at him until he was completely out of sight.

Poseidon put a strong hand on my shoulder. "Percy, my boy," he murmured, "take great care. As I said before, these are dangerous waters to be treading in. You care for this girl, so talk to your father in your own way if you wish to do so. But be wary of your uncle there. He is a troubled man."

"Yes sir," I replied. "Farewell." And with that, I descended down the steps.

_**(Annabeth)**_

"Alright, Bianca! Goodnight! And next time, just leave the frogs alone, please!"

I carelessly wiped my brow of sweat, stumbling through the back castle doors and into the kitchen. Bianca had completely lost interest in gardening not long after I had arrived, and she began to chase all of the frogs she could find. I started joining in, not because I wanted to catch frogs, but because I wanted to catch _her_. Finally, when I did catch her, the sun was just beginning to set, signaling the end of her work day. I reluctantly let her go home, checking her pockets for any frogs before she left. As I made my way into my normal workroom, I noticed that my stack of dishes looked twice as large as it usually did, and I wondered if everyone else had already gone home. _Oh well_, I thought. _More time to spend here, I suppose. _

Steeling myself, I knelt down, filled a bucket with steaming hot water, mixed some soap into it, and began to scrub. Just like the night before, I ignored the searing pain of the hot water burning my hands as I scrubbed the dishes clean.

After a few minutes, when the temperature of the water gradually started to cool down, I heard the creaking sound of a door opening in the kitchen. Curious, I carelessly wiped my hands on my dress and turned around, and to my delight, there stood Percy. However, as I peered closer at him, I noticed how extremely agitated he looked. "Percy?" I asked. "Is something troubling you this evening?"

Percy glanced up. "No, of course not," he replied. "What would make you think that I am troubled?"

I shrugged. "I am not sure. I suppose you just had a look about you."

"Well, fear not, fair maiden," Percy assured me with a dashing smile. "Nothing troubles me this evening. Besides, I do not see how I could feel troubled after the lovely day I've had."

I blushed, sinking to my knees to pick up a dish that had fallen onto the floor. "My day was wonderful as well," I said softly. Though I was flattered by his words, I couldn't help but doubt his claim, at least a little bit. Part of me wondered if he had only done this because he felt pity for me, or because he was required to do it. I didn't want him to feel that he was required to do anything because of me.

Percy smiled, and knelt down beside me, gently brushing a stray strand of hair out of my face. "Annabeth, I'm being completely honest with you. I enjoyed myself a great deal today. In fact, I want us to do something like that again. I would love that more than anything in the world. But for now, I believe it is time for us to retire. Don't you think it would do us both some good?"

I nodded, hoping I would be able to rest a decent bit tonight. "Yes, Percy. I believe so," I agreed.

"Good," Percy said, rising to his full height. "Don't worry about the dishes tonight. You deserve a relaxing evening, after your time with Bianca in the garden."

I let out a giggle. "If she managed to sneak one of those blasted frogs into her apron before she departed for the day, I simply cannot be held responsible!" I exclaimed, holding up my hands in defense.

Percy laughed, a hearty, cheerful noise that filled my heart with what can only be described as pure joy. One of my favorite things in the world was Percy's laugh, especially when I was the one who managed to coax the laugh out of him. He always sounded so carefree and spirited, like he didn't have a single care or responsibility in the entire world.

"I understand," he replied. "She's a pretty sneaky child, isn't she?"

"Certainly," I agreed.

Percy let out a breath. "Well, I suppose I shall be going now," he said. "I must rise early tomorrow. My father and mother have planned to meet with me on a matter, and if I do not get an adequate amount of rest, I will assuredly not be a pleasant person to be around."

"I understand," I murmured, carefully setting the rest of the dishes aside.

As I rose to my feet and smoothed out the many wrinkles in my dress, Percy grabbed my dark green cloak from the nearby rack and wrapped it snugly around my shoulders, catching me by slight surprise and making me blush again. Percy tied the golden strings into a perfect bow, grinned widely, and said, "There you go. It's a little cold out tonight, and I wouldn't want my fair maiden to be uncomfortable."

"Thank you, Percy," I murmured, heat rising in my cheeks. "I sincerely do appreciate it."

"Of course, my dear," Percy answered kindly. And in a slow, gentle motion, Percy took my hand in his own, brought it up to his lips, and planted a soft, lingering kiss on the top of it, making me completely melt inside. After a long moment, he let go of my hand and softly said, "Goodnight, Annabeth. Sleep well."

I smiled, attempting to mask all of the different emotions that I felt bubbling up inside of me. "Goodnight, Percy. I hope you have wonderful dreams tonight."

Percy gave me a dashing smile, and with a wave of his hand, he turned on his heel and ascended up the stairs. After a moment, he was gone.

I smiled in spite of myself, blew out the candles, and headed out the door. Though the air was chilly, it wasn't nearly as harsh as the night before. As I raced along down the hill, my gaze fell on the last rays of the setting sun, with its soft beams of pink, orange, and purple barely peeking out over the horizon. The image was enrapturing, and the sight of it made me begin to think back to a conversation that I'd had with Percy, about two years before.

Percy and I had been discussing some of our favorite things in the world. We had touched on the surface of the basics, such as our favorite animals, favorite foods, favorite seasons, and so forth. Finally, I'd asked him what he thought was the most beautiful thing in the world, and to my surprise, he was hesitant to tell me at first. I'd pried at him for a few seconds, trying to get him to confess, before he finally admitted to me that the most beautiful sight in the world to him was the sunset. He told me that it had made him feel at one with the world, with nature, with his mind, and with his Maker. He loved seeing the mountains and trees in the distance silhouetted by the deep streaks of color, and whenever he would sneak up to the roof of the castle or into a tree to watch the sun setting, his worries and stresses, albeit very slowly, would eventually fade away. I told him that I had never experienced that sense of calmness before, and that was when our sunset-watching evenings began.

We would venture off together nearly every single evening to watch the sunset, and I'd found that Percy was indeed right. It was one of the most soothing activities I had ever experienced, and it became something for me to look forward to. However, as the days grew shorter, Percy became busier, and our evenings that we'd devoted to watching the sunset grew fewer and fewer, until they were essentially nonexistent. This was a fact that saddened me greatly, but eventually, I let it go.

Now, as I was venturing into the woods and glimpsing the last rays of the sunset, I realized that I missed watching the sunsets with Percy. I missed the peace and serenity that it so willingly provided for the two of us. I missed the conversations we would have with one another, when there was no chance of anyone else hearing or interrupting. I truly missed every moment of it.

As I arrived at the front door of my family's house, an idea appeared in my head. I slowly opened the front door, stepped into the foyer, and listened for Thalia's loud gabbering, Clarisse's disgusting squawk of a laugh, or the cane of my stepfather, tapping harshly on the floorboards as he drunkenly paraded around the house.

But I heard nothing.

Satisfied, I carefully sprinted up the stairs to my bedroom with the swiftness of an antelope, gently shut and locked my door, and made my way over to my old dresser, which only held a few clothes, trinkets, and pairs of shoes. I was relieved to find that in the bottom drawer, tucked underneath an old gown of my mother's, was a large bundle of colorful yarn, still in the small, clasped box that it had been in when my mother's friend, Jeyne, gave it to me. I grabbed a handful of pink, purple, yellow, and orange yarn, knotted the end of each string together, and began to maneuver each color carefully over the others. As I worked, my thoughts drifted to Percy, and I thought nothing but wonderful thoughts for the rest of the night.


	4. Percy Really Doesn't Want a Party

**Hello, all! Chapter 4 is here, and I hope you like it! Also, because I didn't say this earlier, I do not own any characters in this story unless otherwise specified. I did give the horse the name Ananke, but in Greek mythology, Ananke is the primordial goddess of necessity. So there's that.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

The first thing I heard when I woke up was my stepfather's loud grunt and the slamming of the front door. I flinched and sat up, desperately hoping that he was not coming up the stairs, perhaps to antagonize or yell at me. I slowly crept out of the warm, comfortable embrace of my bed, tiptoed over to the door, and slid it open, peering down the stairs for any sign of movement.

He was gone.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I shut the door and turned to gather up my belongings. I hadn't bothered to hang my cloak or my apron up on the proper hooks the night before, and to my dismay, both items lay in a discarded, wrinkled heap on my bedroom floor. I took my apron in my hands, sloppily dusted it off, and tied it tightly around my waist, securing it firmly in place. I slung my cloak over my right arm, slipped on my old shoes, and as I turned toward the door, I caught sight of the bracelet that I had constructed the night before. I picked the bracelet up, running my fingertips across the smooth surface of the blended strings, and twirling it around my finger a few times, eyeing the different colors.

_I hope that Percy will like this,_ I thought to myself as I slid the bracelet into the pocket of my apron, pulled my hood over my head, and headed out of my room.

Being extremely careful not to make any noise, I snuck down the stairs, listening for the sound of Clarisse or Thalia. I didn't hear anything, so with a few more swift movements, I darted across the kitchen and out the front door. As soon as I was out, with the beginning rays of the rising sun shining in my eyes, my spirits lifted. The freedom that I felt, being able to wander and exist outside of my home, was pure ecstasy to me. There was no better feeling in the world than the feeling I got when I crossed that threshold every single morning, knowing that I was safe.

Within a few seconds of shutting the front door, I took off running for the castle, holding onto the bracelet in my apron pocket to ensure that it would not fall out. As I neared the castle, my heartbeat quickened significantly, and I became more nervous than I had been before. I was never really one for giving gifts, especially not to a prince, of all people. But he was more than just a prince to me. He was Percy, a prince of the Olympian Kingdom, an expert swordsman, an aspiring poet and writer, a talented horseback rider, and my very best friend in the whole world, whom I adored very much.

But it wasn't like I could actually tell _him_ that.

I shook the thought from my head as I approached the back of the castle, clambering clumsily over the gate and letting myself into the kitchen. As usual, it was quiet and empty, and as usual, that was just how I preferred it to be. I gently hung up my cloak on the rack, grabbed a dry dish towel from the counter, and headed back to my bucket to finish the dishes from the previous night, when a sight next to the bucket stopped me in my tracks.

Jason Grace.

He looked extremely irritated, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed across his muscled chest, seemingly staring blankly at nothing. I cleared my throat loudly, and he broke out of his trancelike state. "So, you're here," he murmured quietly.

I nodded slowly. "Yes, of course I'm here, Jason. Why wouldn't I be here?"

Jason shrugged. "I heard that Percy let you leave early yesterday," he stated, ignoring my question altogether. "Why did he do that?"

"Well," I replied, "I wouldn't say 'early', per say."

"Why did he let you leave early?" Jason asked again. "He never lets _you_ leave early."

"That's because I never _ask _him to let me leave early," I responded, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you so agitated about this, Jason? You get to leave early much more frequently than I do as it is."

Jason narrowed his eyes. "What did you tell him to get him to let you leave early?" he inquired, again ignoring my question. "Just tell me. What was it?"

I thought for a moment. If I told Jason that Percy allowed me to leave early, and I didn't ask him to, Jason would think that something odd was going on; Percy never did that for any of his other servants. So, instead of telling the truth, I simply shrugged. "I asked him to let me leave early, just once, and he obliged. What more is there for you to wonder about?"

Jason stared me down for a moment, his unblinking gaze making me feel extremely uncomfortable. For a split second, I thought he would continue arguing with me, but instead, he sighed. "Very well, Annabeth. Whatever you say."

I smiled nonchalantly at him, and he smirked. "Well, I'd better get back. Lots to attend to today, you know." With a wave of his hand, he strode across the kitchen and out the door without another word.

I sighed, shaking my head and wondering why he had felt the need to interrogate me about a matter so simple and unimportant. Though, at the moment, I decided against dwelling on our intense conversation, and I knelt down, rolled up the puffy sleeves of my dress, and got to work washing the remaining dishes.

_**(Percy)**_

"I'm sorry, sir, but His Majesty has requested your presence in the Great Hall this morning. And he will not take no for an answer, I'm afraid."

I groaned, rolling over onto my pillow and trying very hard to gather the strength to leave my bed and the warmth that it offered me. Nico, one of Luke's younger servants, had arrived at my door with a summons from my father, requesting that I go and meet with him, my mother, Luke, and my two uncles about something extremely important. And at that particular moment, I wanted nothing more than to bury myself underneath my array of blankets and pillows, hide myself from the rest of the world, and go back to sleep. "Can't they wait for a while? They told me yesterday that it wouldn't be until later in the day."

"I'm afraid not, sir," Nico mumbled uneasily. "The King said it was urgent."

I let out another groan. "Very well, Nico," I replied. "Inform my parents that I will be there shortly. I must ready myself, but I will come down soon."

"Yes, my lord," Nico answered, scrambling out of my room and shutting the door loudly behind him.

I sleepily rubbed my eyes and sat up, letting my eyes adjust to the sunlight that filled the entirety of the room. Slowly, I managed to drag myself out of bed, slip on my riding boots, and yank a dark blue button-up shirt over my head. I grabbed a riding satchel off of my nightstand and ruffled my messy hair, deciding that it wasn't worth it to try and straighten it out, and I left both my room and my bed in disarray as I headed toward the Great Hall.

The moment I entered the Great Hall, I noticed the faces of my parents, my brother, and my uncles, just like Nico had said. My mother stood up and approached me. "Good morning, sweetheart," she greeted me, giving me a light hug.

"Good morning, Mother," I replied. "Father. Luke. Uncles. How are you all today?"

Zeus rose from his chair and motioned for me to approach. "Percy, my boy," his voice boomed. "Come sit. We have a matter that we must discuss with you."

I nodded, taking a seat across from my father and taking a sweet roll from a basket atop the table. "Yes, I am aware, Father. You made that quite obvious when you sent Nico in to rouse me from a good night's sleep," I replied, my voice dripping with irritation.

"Now, Percy, we'll have none of that," Hades scolded, wagging his crooked finger at me. "Just because you woke up on the wrong side of the bed doesn't mean that you must take out your vexation on the rest of us here."

My father glared at Hades. "Hush now, Hades," he grumbled. "There is no reason for you to reprimand Percy. He has done nothing wrong; he is simply agitated."

Hades merely shrugged and leaned back in his chair, a reproachful grin on his cloudy, bearded face. I tried my best to ignore him, and slowly began to place roll after roll in my satchel, hoping that no one would notice.

Zeus turned back to me. "Percy, your mother and I have been thinking," he began. "We've come to realize that as you've grown up, you've shown yourself to be a very honorable person. You treat others with kindness, but you also know where your duty lies. Those traits in and of themselves are extremely important when it comes to ruling, as well as being a part of a royal family. You've also accomplished quite a lot in your lifetime thus far, and you should certainly be commended for that. You are nearly eighteen years old, Percy. And we want to celebrate your coming of age, as well as your accomplishments, with a gala for your eighteenth birthday."

I raised an eyebrow. "Father, why would I want a gala for my eighteenth birthday?" I inquired. "Truly, what would be the point?"

"Just what he said," Luke interjected. "To celebrate your eighteenth birthday, and to show the kingdom how honorable and accomplished a person you are." I detected a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Indeed, my son," Hera added. "We believe it might be a great experience for you. And in addition, it's also a wonderful opportunity to meet your subjects. See who you represent, as part of this family. If memory serves, you don't go out into the kingdom often to interact with the locals."

"I don't feel the need to have more or less of a relationship with the commoners than I do now," I replied. "I'm not the King."

"But so many people have yet to meet you," Zeus informed me. "And once they do, they'll see what a wonderful and compassionate person you've become."

"Father, I really must protest," I insisted. "Not only do I feel that it's unnecessary, but I shouldn't have to be the one to inform you that parties and galas aren't exactly my scene. Think about it. How many times have I attended a party in the castle since I was a young boy?"

Hera sighed. "None," she murmured.

"Exactly," I said, my voice growing louder as I continued to speak. "There was obviously a reason why I didn't want to attend those, and I don't want to be a part of this one for the same reasons. I don't want to feel like I am being put on display so the kingdom can gawk at me. Father, please respect my wishes!"

Poseidon cleared his throat. "Oh, my brother. If the boy does not want a gala, you must honor his request. His opinion does matter, after all!" he added.

"But Percy, you don't understand!" Hera protested. "We really feel that you need to interact with people outside of these walls. If you're going to be King someday-"

"Mother, we've already been through this!" I cried in exasperation. "I don't want to be King! I never have! How many times must I repeat this? You and Father know I have never had even the smallest amount of interest in his throne. And besides, I'm not the firstborn. It's not even my birthright by law! That birthright is Luke's, and Luke's alone!"

"You are still a part of this royal family," Hades argued. "And as such, you will behave like a royal and acquiesce to your parents' requests!"

"Percy cannot be forced to take any action," Poseidon added, glaring sharply at Hades. "His rights are to be respected just as much as any other member of the royal family, so in fact-"

"SILENCE!"

The booming sound of Zeus' thunderous roar seemed to shake the walls of the Great Hall, and the scattered fixtures shook rather violently as well. The moment that Zeus shouted, every argumentative voice in the room ceased.

"Now, listen!" Zeus shouted angrily. "I understand that Percy should have his opinion heard, just like any one of you. But by the gods, he does not have a say in this particular matter. The gala is already in the works, and two nights from now, it shall happen as planned. And that decision is final! Do you understand?!"

My whole body shook uncontrollably with anger and fear. Though I badly wanted to say more to openly oppose my father's words, I decided that my best option at that very moment would be to refrain from chastising or renouncing him, and instead to hastily exit. I stood from my chair, looked my father straight in the eye, and said, "Do I understand? Yes. I understand that my own father doesn't care about my opinions. He doesn't even have the decency to talk with me firsthand. And he obviously hasn't considered how this will affect me. So, yes. I do understand. Now, please excuse me." And with that, I straightened up and strolled out of the room, not bothering to look back at him.

As soon as I was out of sight, my intense, stoic demeanor broke. I sat down on a dark green, leather-like couch in one of the neighboring rooms and put my head in my hands, becoming more anxious with each second that passed me by. I was so angry, scared, nervous, and confused by the whole situation, but I didn't have much time at all to think about it before I heard a knock on the wall outside.

Hera.

"Percy?" she asked gently. "May I come talk to you, please?"

I looked up. "Mother, I know why you're here. Don't bother asking me to go back and tell him that I'm fine, or that I have no problem with the gala. Because I won't do it."

My mother slowly approached me, and sat down on the other side couch. "I know this is hard for you, love," she murmured, gently patting my shoulder. "And I know this isn't what you want. But that's not why I've come to talk to you."

I glanced up at her. "Then why? Why are you here?"

A small smile crept onto my mother's cheerful face, and her eyes brightened. "I wanted to ask you about yesterday," she replied. "About your time with Annabeth."

The mention of Annabeth's name brought an involuntary smile to my face, and I blushed. "It was great," I answered. "We had such a wonderful afternoon."

Hera grinned. "How did she like the Lake of Eros?"

"Oh, she absolutely loved it," I said. "She remarked that she'd never seen such a beautiful place in all her life. I don't really find that hard to believe. You said yourself that she hasn't been able to venture far beyond the castle walls and experience places such as that."

"You're right," Hera said, nodding. "And it makes me happy to hear that she enjoyed it. I take it you did as well?"

"Indeed," I replied. "We swam in the Lake, we played, we climbed trees, we walked through the meadow, we picked fresh pears for lunch. Oh! And she rode a horse for the first time. It took her awhile to get used to it, but once she did, she loved it."

"I'm so glad to hear that," Hera said gently. "And it's great that you are enjoying your time with your handmaiden, Percy."

"I am," I agreed.

Hera touched my hand gently. "Percy," she said, her tone becoming slightly more solemn. "Believe me when I tell you that I do love that you have found a close friend in Annabeth. But you know how your father feels about companionships with people of lower status than yourself. And don't think of this as an attack on you, my son. I beg you. I do condone this friendship, and I want you to be happy. But you must not let yourself get too attached to her. Because if you do, there will be consequences that you will not like. Just keep yourself in check, and you will both be perfectly fine. Do you understand me?"

Though I was somewhat saddened by her words, I nodded. "Of course, Mother," I murmured. "You need not worry. I do understand. Now, I must be off. Annabeth had a task assigned to her this morning that she requested assistance with, and I want to make sure she learns how to do it the proper way."

Hera nodded. "Of course. Go on," she replied. I rose from the couch, and waved goodbye to her as I headed out the door.

**(A/N: I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Some of the characters may be a bit out of character, but just know that it's for the plot's sake. Please feel free to review or PM me, whether it's with your questions or thoughts! Next chapter will be up soon! ~BlackthornUnicorn98)**


	5. Annabeth Gets Friendzoned

**Hi, all. Sorry for the late update, but here's chapter 5. More cliche romance to come!**

_**(Annabeth)**_

"Oh, dash it all!"

I groaned and muttered unintelligible swears under my breath as a white china plate fell from the shelf and shattered into a thousand tiny pieces on the floor. Several of them tumbled underneath a large wooden cart against the wall that was far too heavy for me to move, and I let out an annoyed growl.

_This is just my luck. _

I reached over and took hold of the broom nearest to me, and began to sweep up the shards to the best of my ability. Though I could clearly see some of them, the rest were not so easy to spot. The shadows of the cart's underside did not make it any easier on my part, and after pushing and pulling on the cart for what seemed like an eternity, I kicked at the cart in a fit of sheer frustration. "Move, you inconsiderate slab of plywood! Move! Why must you be so heavy?!"

"Annabeth? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

I looked off to my left, and my gaze fell on Piper, one of the few personal servants of the Queen. She was about four years younger than I, and to my knowledge, she had only been employed in the service of the King and Queen for about three months now. Piper was extremely sweet, as well as a little naive, and on the rare occasion that I could actually have a full conversation with her, we would joke and laugh about any number of topics until our sides hurt so much that we could no longer laugh at all.

"Hello, Piper," I mumbled, straightening up and dropping the broom on the cold floor. "Yes, of course, I'm fine. I just can't seem to move this cart, and my task requires me to work my way around underneath it. There are just some glass shards underneath that I need to get to."

Piper flinched. "Oh, dear," she murmured. "I can help you, if you would like assistance!"

I shook my head, though I was quite touched by the gesture. "Piper, I can see that you're done for the day," I informed her, noting that her cloak was wrapped snugly around her shoulders, signifying that she was indeed about to leave. "Please, do not trouble yourself. I can handle it. But I appreciate your offer very much. You can be off now."

Piper smiled sweetly. "Of course, Annabeth. But that's not exactly why I've come here to talk to you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Then, what is it? Is something troubling you?"

Piper shrugged. "I overheard something today," she explained. "Something that I found rather disturbing. And seeing as you have worked for the King and Queen much longer than the rest of us, you might know what is going on better than I."

I shook my head. "Piper, while you are correct in assuming that I have worked for Their Majesties for a very long time, I must tell you that they do not ever give me additional information about situations or happenings in the kingdom."

"I understand," Piper replied, "but I do not know what to do with the information that I have learned. And I must talk to someone about it."

I smiled. "Piper, you are more than welcome to confide in me," I encouraged her. To be truthful, it gave me great joy to know that someone wanted to entrust me with such important information.

Piper took a deep breath. "Well," she said, "I was in the Queen's quarters, organizing and rehanging the drapes. Her Majesty came in and told me that she would let me go for the day, as well as the rest of her servants, because there was an important matter for the royal family to attend to this afternoon. She did not say any more than that. I promised her that I would depart immediately, but...I suppose my curiosity got the better of me."

I smirked. "You went and eavesdropped on the meeting, didn't you?" I couldn't really say that I was all that surprised, and to be honest, I was actually somewhat proud of her.

Piper shrugged sheepishly. "I did," she replied. "And I know it was wrong, and I certainly shouldn't have done it. But I followed the Queen to the garderobe in the North Wing. I concealed myself behind the drapes outside of the room, and I heard every word that they said. I only left because my foot slipped on the staircase and I fell over. I was afraid that everyone inside would hear me, so I took off before they could find me. I've just come from the North Wing now."

I nodded. "What did you hear, Piper? What were the King and Queen talking about?"

"Oh, it wasn't just the King and Queen," Piper answered. "Poseidon the Duke was there, too. Such a kindly man, he is. And Commander Hades was there as well, and two other people whose voices I did not recognize, a man and a woman. I believe the woman's name was Junio, and the man's...Juniper, perhaps?"

My eyes widened. "Jupiter and Juno?" I asked carefully.

"Yes!" Piper exclaimed. "Those are the ones! But Annabeth, who are they? Are they important people? Should we be afraid of them?"

"Jupiter and Juno are the King and Queen of the Middle Kingdom," I explained, folding my hands together. "Jupiter is a distant cousin of King Zeus, and they have maintained an intense rivalry for as long as I can remember. Jupiter is impulsive and can be very cruel, but his wife is gentle and kind. I suppose they parallel our King and Queen, in a sense."

It was true. Jupiter was widely regarded as a hotheaded, cynical, and extremely impetuous ruler, very similarly to Zeus. In contrast, Juno was more level headed, rational, and a kinder person overall, just like Hera. The similarities were eerie, to say the least.

Piper thought for a moment. "Are they the rulers of the kingdom south of us?" she asked. "The one that grows the sweetest Jonagold apple trees in the country?"

"Indeed," I replied. "So, you were saying? What were they talking about?"

"Jupiter told Zeus that he has waited for his decision long enough, and that he and Hera only have one more day," Piper recalled. "It seems like something that has been in the works for a very long time. Hera expressed her doubts about whatever this is, as did Poseidon the Duke, but the King and the Commander were arguing with them about it, saying that it might be a good idea. I sensed a lot of intensity in the room. And then, Jupiter told everyone to be quiet. He said that if the King and Queen don't accept his 'generous' offer, the Middle Kingdom will prepare its troops and declare war on the North Olympian Kingdom within the fortnight."

My hand flew to my mouth, and I gasped. "No, this can't be true. Jupiter and Zeus don't get along very well, and they've always been at odds with each other, but they wouldn't declare war on one another unless absolutely necessary. This simply cannot be true."

Piper shook her head. "Annabeth, I'm just relaying what I heard from that room. I didn't hear anything after that because I lost my balance and slipped, as I said before. It frightened me greatly, that much is true. Whatever shall we do?"

"Well, one thing to be noted here and now is that neither of us should bother asking the King and Queen," I instructed. "If we did, you would be punished or beaten, and I would be branded a conspirator. But I suppose I could ask Percy what's going on. I don't believe he would do anything to hurt me."

"You two do seem fairly close," Piper commented, causing me to blush. "That's actually a great idea. Ask him what he knows, Annabeth, and if you are able, tell me as well."

"Of course," I replied. "Now, go on. You deserve a relaxing evening, Piper. Don't worry yourself about all of this right now."

"Very well. Farewell, Annabeth. See you tomorrow!" Piper called, skipping toward the back door. She swung it open, nearly tripping on the rug, and with a wave of her dainty hand, she was gone.

I picked up the broom that I had dropped on the floor, and continued on my quest to sweep up the glass shards from underneath the heavy cart. As I worked, my mind drifted off to the conversation that Piper and I had had just moments before. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Zeus and Hera declined to accept Jupiter's request, whatever it could be. I wondered what the issue at hand was. I wondered how it would impact everyone in the castle, or even the kingdom as a whole. But the biggest question of all?

Would we really have to go to war?

_**(Percy)**_

I trotted down the steps of the South Wing, sleepily rubbing my eyes and attempting to keep my balance. After my conversations with my mother and father, I was so mentally exhausted that all I wanted to do was sleep. I'd collapsed on my bed and had immediately drifted off into a long, restless sleep. I had missed dinner for the night, which I was certain that my parents did not appreciate, and now I was half-awake, stumbling clumsily down the stairs on my way to see Annabeth and trying to think of ideas as to where we would take our next adventure together.

As I entered the kitchen, I noticed Annabeth herself crouched down in the corner by a cabinet, scrubbing down the floor like her own life depended on it. I couldn't help but smile as I slowly approached her, so as not to startle her. "Annabeth?"

She looked up at me, and a ghost of a smile appeared on her lovely face. "Hello, Percy, sir. What brings you here this evening?" she asked, continuing to scrub.

"You need not call me 'sir', remember?" I reminded her, holding up my hand. "I'm not my brother, you know. We've been over this many a time."

She let out a quiet, nervous laugh, and I could've sworn I saw her cheeks turn bright pink. "Apologies, _Percy_," she corrected herself. "I shall try to be better about that. Now, what brings you to my little corner of paradise?"

I laughed. "Paradise it seems," I said. "Annabeth, have you eaten yet?"

"No, Percy," she replied. "Dinner is a rarity for me."

"Annabeth, you must eat," I said firmly. "And if you wouldn't mind, I thought that we might be able to eat together." And with that, I produced two sweet rolls from my satchel. They weren't hot anymore, but Annabeth didn't seem to care.

"Percy! They're exquisite! Are you sure?" she asked, eyeing the rolls hungrily.

"Of course, fair maiden," I assured her. "Take them. Please."

She gingerly reached her hands forward, but after a moment, she pulled them back. "Wait," she said. "Before I take those, I have something for you as well."

I raised an eyebrow and opened my mouth to speak, but before I could do so, Annabeth had reached into her apron and pulled out a bracelet. "Here," she murmured, placing it in my hand.

The bracelet was fairly thin, and it was made of interwoven strings of different colors. There were beautiful shades of lavender, pale pink, orange, and even a little bit of yellow. The strings were intricately woven together in a soft, fluid pattern, and the colors couldn't have been more perfectly blended together.

"Annabeth," I breathed.

"I made it last night when I returned home," she mumbled, avoiding my eyes. "I'm honestly not sure why, but I was thinking back, and I thought it would be pretty, but-"

"It's so beautiful," I murmured, cutting her off. "The colors are perfectly put together. It reminds me of one of the prettiest things that I have ever seen in my life, the-"

"Sunset," Annabeth finished. "I remember. You told me that it was the most beautiful thing in the world to you, and that was when we started watching the sunsets together in the evenings."

I twirled the bracelet gently between my fingers. "I can't believe you remember that," I said incredulously. "That had to have been at least two years ago. Is that correct?"

Annabeth simply nodded.

I grinned, sliding the bracelet onto my right wrist. "Well, it's beautiful, Annabeth. Thank you so much." And then I did something that I wasn't expecting to do at all, something that I rarely did with people in general, including my family members.

I pulled her in for a hug.

Immediately, as our bodies melted together, I began to involuntarily calm down. Her hug was so warm and comforting, like a heavy blanket on a cold winter's night, and my situation suddenly seemed a little less bleak. The longer I stood there, holding onto her, the more I began to feel a sensation that I hadn't felt in a very long time. It wasn't one that I was unfamiliar with, but at the same time, it wasn't one that I knew well.

It was safety. It was security. It was protection.

After a few moments that seemed to last a lifetime, I felt her pulling away. As she did, I thought to myself, _Oh, no. What if I crossed a line? What if she didn't want me to hug her? What if she dislikes hugs, or people touching her without asking?_ I shot an anticipatory glance her way, and was relieved to see that she was smiling. "Thank you for that, Percy," she murmured. "You have no idea how much I needed that tonight."

I grinned back at her. "Me too, milady," I replied. "Now, come on. I command you to eat your dinner!"

She laughed aloud, making my heart skip three beats, and took the two rolls from my hands. As she sat herself down on the floor and began to eat, I couldn't stop thinking about the way her eyes had sparkled when I had told her how much I loved the bracelet, and how her eyes shone with laughter when I had 'commanded' her to eat her dinner. She had such beautiful eyes, eyes that emanated a kind of childlike innocence that suited her personality. The radiant gleam was preposterously undeniable, especially in the light of the sun by Lake Eros, when they'd sparkled like stars in the night sky.

_Stars. That's it!_

"Annabeth, I'll be right back," I assured her. "Go ahead and eat your rolls. I will return to you shortly." She nodded, looking confused, and I turned to head straight up the stairs and out of the kitchens.

"Mother?" I called, approaching the royal quarters with haste. "Mother!"

"Yes, darling?" my mother's soft voice answered back. "What is it?"

I stopped in the doorway and saw Hera, settled into bed with an old book. "Mother, I was wondering. Would it be acceptable for me to go riding at this late hour?" I asked. "I must get my rest, and riding Ananke always relaxes me. And it's a beautiful night for it."

Hera glanced over. "Where would you go, and what would you do there?" she asked. "The market is closed at this time of the evening."

"I know, Mother," I said. "I would just be going for a ride. Maybe out by the Old Wood? I could even pick some of your favorite peaches while I'm there, if you would like."

"Very well," Hera replied. "You may go. Just don't go getting yourself into trouble. You must promise me."

"I promise, Mother," I answered happily. "Goodnight!" And without another word, I bounded back down the stairs before she had a chance to change her mind.

"Annabeth?" I whispered as I entered the kitchen again. "Grab your cloak. We're leaving."

Annabeth squeaked as she finished off the last of her first roll. "Come again?"

I motioned for her to follow me. "We're leaving," I repeated. "Come on!"

It was obvious that she was extremely confused, but regardless, Annabeth rose to her feet and followed me anyway. She grabbed her cloak off of the rack and put her roll in her mouth so she would have both free hands, but I stopped her. "Here. Let me," I murmured, taking her cloak from her. She let go, grabbing hold of her roll again, and I draped her green cloak over her shoulders, fastening it firmly in place around her neck. I could've sworn she shivered, but I couldn't be sure. "Ready?"

"Ready," I heard her say. And with that, we were off.

As I led her out of the castle and toward Ananke's shed, Annabeth grabbed my arm. "Percy, where are we going at this late hour?" she asked. "I am feeling rather frightened."

"There is no need to feel frightened, fair maiden," I reassured her. "It's a surprise."

I opened the door to Ananke's shed and saddled the old horse up as quickly as possible, the excitement building up inside me. Annabeth watched nervously, munching contentedly on her last roll. By the time I was done, so was she, and I hoisted myself up into the saddle. "Shall we, my dear?" I asked, offering her my hand.

Annabeth smiled up at me. "We shall, my prince," she replied with a giggle. She carefully put her foot in the stirrup and took my hand, and I pulled her up behind me. She clung to me for a moment, getting her bearings, before she relaxed. "It's not as scary this time around."

"Like I said last time, you do eventually get used to the feeling," I responded, lightly snapping the reins. Ananke trotted forward, and Annabeth continued to hold onto me. Though, this time, she didn't seem nearly as frightened.

After a few minutes of silence, during which the sky darkened a considerable amount, Annabeth spoke up. "Percy?" she said meekly. "One day, I want to be able to learn to ride a horse all on my own. Will you teach me sometime?"

My heart swelled with happiness upon hearing her request. "Of course, Annabeth," I replied. "Whenever you want."

She giggled quietly, and rested her head gently on my back. Just like the previous time, I tried not to show any reaction. As we rode along the path, the sound of the chirping birds in the trees found its way to my ears. I had always loved listening to the birds in the Old Wood. The high-pitched chirps of the nightingales and the robins, the low hooting of the tawny owls, the soft squawk of the blue jays, and the mockingbirds, replicating all of the sounds of the others. I remembered that I loved the sound of the birds, and Luke had hated them, preferring not to listen to them at all. I'd never understood why he didn't like listening to the birds, but then again, I had never bothered with asking him.

"Percy? Have we been on this road before?" Annabeth asked quietly. "It looks familiar."

I nodded. "Yes, Annabeth. This is the road that we took to go to the Lake of Eros. Good eye."

"It looks different," she murmured. "It doesn't look as welcoming this time, all shadowed and scary."

"I suppose," I replied.

The rest of the ride was spent in complete and uninterrupted silence. Occasionally, I would whisper to Ananke, encouraging her to keep going, and toward the end of the trip, Annabeth came down with an unfortunate case of the hiccups. The whole situation was extremely humorous, and whenever I would laugh at her, Annabeth would growl menacingly, but it would be interrupted by another hiccup, which would cause me to laugh again. By the time we reached the meadow, Annabeth's hiccups were gone and I was stuck in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

The moment Ananke stopped, Annabeth jumped down. "Cut it out!" she exclaimed, yanking on my arm and pulling me out of the saddle.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, landing unsteadily on my feet in the dirt. I wrenched my hand away from her and took off running into the meadow, my satchel bumping uncomfortably against my hip.

"Hey!" Annabeth shouted. "Come back!" I looked back and saw her sprinting full-force into the meadow, attempting to hold the hem of her dress up as she ran after me. I laughed victoriously as I bolted through the meadow, the rush of the evening air cooling my face.

However, my victory was quite short-lived; one of my riding boots got caught in a large tangle of weeds nestled down in the dirt, and I stumbled, barely keeping myself from falling down. As I gathered my bearings, preparing to run again, Annabeth charged into me, forcibly knocking me over into the cool grass. I collapsed on my back, my head hitting a soft patch of earth. Annabeth landed on top of me, giggling uncontrollably to herself, before she realized exactly how interesting of a position we were in.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, clearing her throat nervously. "Sorry! I'll just, uh…"

"Do not worry, Annabeth," I assured her as she scrambled off of me and toppled into the grass. "You did nothing wrong. Besides, that was...dare I say...fun?"

"It's a good thing the King isn't here," Annabeth murmured, slightly out of breath. "It certainly doesn't sound like he is fond of fun in any form."

"Oh, he is," I corrected. "But only when it benefits him, and when it's on his own time."

Annabeth cocked her head, and glanced at me. "Why, what do you mean, Percy?" she asked.

I sighed. "My father has announced that he is throwing a gala to honor me for my eighteenth birthday," I replied. "Most of the kingdom is invited."

"That is wonderful, Percy!" Annabeth exclaimed with a bright smile. "Drinks, decorations, festivities, and everyone has the opportunity to dress up!"

"I suppose," I replied. "But I've never been one for festivities. And besides, my father is only doing this to put me on display in front of the whole kingdom to show what a noble King I'll be someday."

Annabeth's smile faded. "But you don't even want to be King," she protested.

"Exactly," I grumbled, pushing myself up into a sitting position. "And he felt obligated to plan this gala anyway. He refused to listen to my protests, even when I insisted that the birthright of kingship does not even belong to me; it rests with Luke, the eldest! The gala takes place two nights from now, and I'm not looking forward to it in the slightest."

Annabeth slowly sat up, and leaned her head on my shoulder. "Percy, I'm so sorry," she murmured. "It's awful to be dealing with a father who doesn't have any regard for how you feel or how you want to live your life." Her voice sounded extremely pained, as if she was trying her very best to imagine how I felt.

I took her hand in my own. "Do not worry about me, milady. I will be fine," I assured her. "Now, let's forget about this family nonsense. I brought you out here for a reason." I motioned to the sky, which was speckled with countless stars.

Annabeth smiled, laying back down in the grass. "Stargazing," she murmured. "I've never done this before."

"I know. That's the idea," I replied playfully, lying down in the grass beside her. "There are so many beautiful stars in the sky, as well as wondrous constellations. Like that one, right there." I pointed to a constellation made of several lines of stars, including a few groups of stars that were clustered together in the middle to form vague shapes.

"What is it?" Annabeth asked curiously. "That must be at least twenty stars alone."

"That's Orion," I replied. "One of the most famous constellations in the sky. It was named for Orion the Hunter, a legend of mythology."

"It does somewhat take on the shape of a person," Annabeth commented. "See, the lines of stars on the outside look like arms, and the middle section seems to make up the body."

"Indeed," I agreed. "And there's that one right there, the one made of just a few stars, that's Cassiopeia. It was named for a Queen."

"I remember her," Annabeth replied. "She thought that her beauty exceeded that of all other women."

"Yes. And she was extremely vain," I added. "She was punished for trouble that she caused, and she was tied to a chair in the heavens for the rest of eternity. See the connecting, jagged layout of the stars? Those are supposed to be her arms, chained to the chair."

"Wow," Annabeth breathed. "Fascinating."

I smiled to myself, finding joy in teaching Annabeth about the legendary shapes in the sky. "Oh, and that one right there...that one is interesting." I pointed to a scattered group of stars near Cassiopeia. "That's the constellation Andromeda, The Chained Lady."

Annabeth simply nodded.

"Andromeda was the daughter of Cassiopeia," I continued. "The Queen was ordered to sacrifice Andromeda, and chained her to a rock near the sea to be killed by a vicious monster. A hero arrives on a winged horse, kills the monster, and saves her life."

"Perseus," Annabeth added dreamily.

I nodded. "Yes, Perseus. The mythological hero who gave me my name. He rescued and freed Andromeda and later, they were joined in matrimony. One of the few myths that actually ends well for the heroes involved, I must add."

"I love the story of Andromeda," Annabeth murmured, nodding again. "It's one of my favorites. My mother used to tell me that story each night, not long after my father died."

My smile faded. Annabeth's father had died when she was very young, and she didn't remember him very well. Annabeth hadn't told me very much about her mother; only that she didn't live with Annabeth and the rest of her family. I guessed that she hadn't shared details concerning her mother with me because they were too painful or saddening to relive, and I wasn't about to ask her about it now. "I'm sure you miss your mother, don't you?" I asked carefully instead.

Annabeth just stared unblinkingly up at the sky. Surprisingly, not a single tear fell from her enrapturing eyes, but her beautiful, utterly entranced smile was completely gone. "Yes, Percy. I desperately miss her."

"I'm so sorry, Annabeth," I murmured, squeezing her hand. "We do not need to speak of her, if you would prefer."

Annabeth shrugged. "I was just looking at the stars," she murmured softly. "Wondering if she's up there somewhere. Wondering where she went, if she's even still alive, or if she went up to the heavens, where Cassiopeia and Andromeda and Perseus are. Wondering what would happen if I just suddenly descended into the sky and became a new constellation of my own. I believe that I would be an owl. My mother and I both loved owls. What would you be?"

"Maybe a horse," I said thoughtfully, imagining Ananke. "But I don't know what I would do if you ventured up into the heavens, never to come down again, you know."

"Why?" Annabeth questioned. "Wouldn't it be so wonderful? To look out over the rest of the world, see the beautiful landscapes and the loving, happy families, going about their everyday lives?"

"I suppose it would be wonderful," I agreed. "And I know that if you arose into the heavens right now and became a beautiful owl constellation, you would watch over me until the end of time. Wouldn't you?"

Annabeth nodded, barely blushing. "Watching over you would be my favorite part of it all," she said sheepishly. "The part I would look forward to with the most excitement and happiness."

"I would hope so," I said jokingly. "But I'd rather you not leave me on my own just yet. I wouldn't want to lose my best friend so soon."

A look of what looked like disappointment flickered in her eyes for just a moment, but it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. "Of course, Percy," she murmured quietly. "You will not be rid of me so soon, I can promise you that."

"Good," I murmured. And as I looked back up at the night sky, with all of its shimmering stars and constellations, I held tightly onto Annabeth's hand, making sure that she made good on her promise not to leave.

**(A/N: Please feel free to review and pm me with your questions and thoughts! I love hearing from you guys! Happy reading! ~BlackthornUnicorn98)**


	6. Annabeth's Olive Tree

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Rick Riordan.**

"Percy. Percy. Wake up."

The sound of Annabeth's soothing voice was the first thing I heard as I slowly opened my eyes to find that we were still in the Meadow of Freya. "How long have I been asleep, Annabeth?" I asked drowsily, struggling to sit up.

"Maybe an hour or so," Annabeth replied. I felt her hand press into my back, gently pushing me upward. "You dozed off after we stopped talking. You must be exhausted. Why don't we get you back to the castle so you can get some proper rest?"

I nodded. "Thanks for not leaving me here to become one with the daisies," I murmured sleepily.

Annabeth stood up, took my hand in both of hers, and easily pulled me to my feet. "Percy, we discussed this. I promised that I would not ever leave you, remember?"

I opened my eyes wider in order to see Annabeth more clearly. She was standing right next to Ananke, who I assumed she had brought out into the middle of the field before she had awakened me. There was an unreadable expression etched upon her face, which was partially hidden in the shadow of the horse's head.

I smiled and walked over, taking Ananke by the reins. As I was about to pull myself up, I stopped. "Oh! Almost forgot!" I exclaimed, bending down out of Annabeth's view. I picked a large pink daisy out of the grass and wandered over to Annabeth, waving it in front of me. "I can't forget our special tradition, now, can I?" Before she could say anything, I pushed a large section of her smooth brown hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. I pinned it back with the stem of the daisy, and smiled at her. "There. Now you're a proper princess."

She giggled in the same adorable way that she had the last time she wore a flower in her hair, and I couldn't help but hopelessly wish that she was royalty so that Father would allow our friendship to extend beyond its current borders. And as much as I hoped, I knew it would never be.

Trying my best to ignore my thoughts, I pulled myself up into the saddle, offered Annabeth my hand, pulled her up into the saddle behind me, and snapped Ananke's reins. "Come on, girl. Let's go on home. Yah."

Ananke lurched forward, and took off at a faster pace than before as she headed toward the edge of the meadow, obviously sensing that we needed to get back to the castle soon. Annabeth held onto me around the waist for dear life, and I tightened my grip on the reins as the horse raced along the path and into the woods.

Ananke slowed slightly as we entered the woods, and I felt Annabeth relax a little. "It's cold," she murmured, sounding like a small, shivering child.

"Don't worry. We shall arrive at the castle soon," I said hopefully.

"I sure hope so. But Percy, while we're here, I must ask-oh no, my flower!" Annabeth exclaimed. I snapped Ananke's reins and she stopped. Annabeth jumped off and ran back. "I don't want to lose my flower! I'll be back in just a moment!"

I chuckled. "Of course, Annabeth. Take your time. Oh, I almost forgot! We must remember to take some peaches back for my mother, and-WHOA!" I heard several twigs snapping together in the distance, but it caught Ananke's attention much faster than it caught my own. Ananke reared up on her hind legs, letting out a frightened whinny, and before I had even the slightest bit of time to react, I completely lost my grip on the leather reins. With a terrified gasp, I slid backwards off the saddle and landed on my back in the dirt, groaning as a sharpshooting pain went up my back from the impact. Ananke took off, galloping down the path with the speed of a cheetah. Before long, she was completely out of sight.

"Percy!" Annabeth whispered urgently. I glanced up. She had her flower back in her hair, and an extremely worried look on her face. "What happened? Wherever is Ananke?"

"I believe that she's going back to the castle," I answered, trying very hard to sit up. "Don't worry, she most likely just got spooked. But we have to-"

I paused for a moment, and listened intently. Somewhere in the trees, I could hear the faint voices of two men, growing louder with every second that passed. I grabbed Annabeth's arm. "Annabeth! We have to hide! Help me up!"

Annabeth quickly pulled me to my feet, and I attempted to ignore the immense pain surging through my neck and my back. Together, we made our way underneath the miniscule bridge that lay just ahead. Underneath the bridge, we encountered a tremendous amount of branches, twigs, and underbrush in a dried-up riverbed. I crouched down into the thicket, pulling Annabeth down with me. Kneeling in the underbrush, we both looked up, and saw two unfamiliar men: one who seemed taller and more built, and another who looked a lot shorter and sported a very long braid. Both men were dressed completely in black, they both wore dark masks with only their eyes visible, and each man carried a spear in his hand.

"You know, I don't believe that the King will really do it," the tall man said. "His wife wants to drink so deeply of peace, and I'm sure she can help him quench his thirst for warfare. Do you believe it, Edgar?"

"Oh, I believe he will go through with it if need be, Gerard," the shorter man said. "He and Zeus have been at odds for years. It was bound to happen at some point or another."

My eyes widened at the mention of my father's name, but I kept listening.

"It truly doesn't surprise me one bit," the man named Edgar continued. "Jupiter has always been so hot-headed and impulsive. And I knew he was bound to snap a string eventually."

"But why the threat?" Gerard asked. "Why now? And why can't he just negotiate instead of threatening his cousin with the spilling of blood? The Northern Kingdom would never do that to _us_."

Edgar scoffed. "With that ignoramus Zeus in charge, why would you dare believe that, even for a moment?" he demanded. "Besides, Zeus wouldn't know the word 'negotiate' if it rode into his throne room bearing the banner of the Middle Kingdom itself."

I turned to Annabeth. "What could they possibly mean?" I whispered. "The spilling of blood? Threats? And who are those men?"

"They must be from the Middle Kingdom," Annabeth muttered back. "Look at the symbols on the backs of their cloaks. A red rhino with a golden chain, placed in front of a silver shield, is it not?"

I looked closer, and at that moment, I knew she was right. These two intruders had to be from the Middle Kingdom, and based on their looks, their hushed voices that they were speaking in, and their attire, I deduced that they were most likely scouts or spies.

"I suppose you're right," Gerard agreed. "But I still do not believe that violence and bloodshed are the answers."

"If Zeus accepts Jupiter's offer, there will _be_ no violence and bloodshed, comrade," Edgar shot back, gracefully twirling his spear around in his hand. "Besides, Zeus will do anything to keep his kingdom in power. He'd give up one of his own children to Tartarus if fate made it so."

I clenched my fists, wanting so desperately to stab the little man called Edgar in the back with his own spear.

"Percy, don't listen to him!" Annabeth whispered urgently. "Zeus would never do that to you or Luke! He does not understand what he's saying!"

"Perhaps you're right," Gerard said. "But hear me when I say that if something falls through, or Zeus does not accept the alliance with King Jupiter, I swear to you by the River Styx that this will be the bloodiest war in Olympian history. Now, comrade, we must go, before one of their Northern dogs finds us out here. Because if they do, we won't live to _see_ the war unfold."

Edgar nodded, and both men took off through the trees. As soon as they were out of sight and earshot, I let out a gasp and collapsed on the ground. "War? The Middle Kingdom would really rage war on us? How can that be?" I murmured.

Annabeth's brow furrowed. "Percy, this is exactly what I wanted to speak with you about earlier," she said solemnly. "I wanted to ask you what you knew about this conflict."

"Nothing! I know absolutely nothing! Honest. This is the first I've heard of it!" I exploded, jumping up from the brush and wincing at the excruciating pain in my back. "Ouch!"

Annabeth stood up slowly. "Percy, we must get you back to the castle," she insisted. "You are injured. You need medical assistance."

"What I need is to speak with my father," I argued. "Ask him about this alliance and what it means for our kingdom. Ask him who he plans to use as a pawn in his game this time around. _Ouch_!" I lurched forward, landing on my stomach and attempting to escape the discomfort in my back that kept flaring up whenever I moved.

"Percy," Annabeth said softly, kneeling down next to me. "Please. I implore you to calm down. You shall have time to talk to your father. And I'm sure that there is a legitimate reason as to why he did not share this information with you or your brother."

"How do you know that he has not discussed this issue with Luke?" I demanded.

Annabeth sighed. "Because a witness placed King Jupiter, Queen Juno, your parents, Poseidon the Duke, and Commander Hades at the scene where the discussion was taking place. Your brother was not there, Percy. He is not in on this. In fact, I believe that he has less information than you do now."

"I wonder when he was planning on telling us?" I muttered angrily. "Maybe at our weddings. Maybe at the christenings of our children. Maybe when he is on his deathbed. I am unsure."

"Percy, please," Annabeth begged. "Do not stress about this right now. It's not the time. Come on, give me your arm, and I'll help you get back to the castle."

Though I was ready to argue and spout off some more, the look of seriousness in Annabeth's eyes suggested that I not. So instead, I wound my arm around her shoulders, and she helped me to my feet. Taking her offer of assistance without another word, we slowly began the trek back to the castle.

By the time we arrived at the back doors, twilight had long since passed, but dawn was still a long way off. With Annabeth's help, I stumbled into the kitchen and looked regrettably at the stairway. "Are you sure that I cannot just sleep down here?" I complained, no doubt sounding like a five-year-old boy.

Annabeth shook her head. "No, Percy. Come on. I know that you can do it. I have faith in you." She gave me a hopeful smile, which somehow gave me the strength to carry on. Step by step, I hobbled up the stairs to my bedroom, with Annabeth supporting me the best that she could, and I didn't bother to close the door behind me. I made my way over to my bed and collapsed in exhaustion, accidentally pulling Annabeth down with me. She giggled and quickly scrambled up. "By the gods, Percy Jackson! You sure are a clumsy one!" she exclaimed jokingly.

I narrowed my eyes. "Now, listen here. I'm going to feel better soon, and when I do, you had best bet that I'm going to be coming after you!" I growled.

Annabeth squealed and let out an adorable, contagious laugh. Soon, I was laughing as well, but I only stopped when the pain became too much to bear. "I think I just need to rest right now," I muttered, rolling over onto my stomach and trying my hardest to relax my sore muscles.

"I agree with you," Annabeth murmured. "Let me help you, Percy." I nodded, allowing myself to be put in her caring, capable hands. She worked my shirt off in order to inspect the damage, and to my relief, all she said was, "Just bruising, it looks like. Nothing too serious. I'll return shortly."

After a few moments, I felt a freezing cold towel touch my bare back, and I began to squirm. "Percy, no," she said sternly. "You must leave it there, or it won't help."

"You have my word," I replied through chattering teeth.

Annabeth spread the ice-cold towel over my back and neck, laid my shirt over the towel, and pulled the heavy comforter over me. "Is that better?" she asked.

I simply nodded.

"Good," she said softly. "Get some rest, my prince. I will see you in the morning, yes?"

"Of course," I replied. "Goodnight, Annabeth."

There was a moment of silence, and suddenly I felt her plant a gentle, lingering kiss on my forehead, sending a shiver down my already freezing cold back. "Goodnight, Percy Jackson," she whispered.

And that was the last thing I remembered before I drifted off into a deep, comfortable, dream-filled sleep.

_**(Annabeth)**_

As I stepped away from Percy's bed and began to make my way quietly toward the door, I had one single thought.

_I just kissed Percy Jackson._

Well, not properly. Not the way that I personally would have wanted to do it. And maybe not in the context that I would have preferred, or even imagined. But regardless, it still happened. I still kissed the young man that I had been pining over for ten years. And at that moment in time, that was enough for me.

As I blew out the candles and shut the door, nothing but happy thoughts danced through my head. But the moment I turned away from his door, every thought left my head as I came face-to-face with Percy's older brother, Luke. I let out a startled gasp, and backed up into the wall, hitting my head in the process. "Luke! Sir!" I exclaimed. "You...you gave me a fright!"

Luke crossed his arms. "Did I, now?"

I let out a breath. "Yes. You did. So, if you do not mind my inquiry...sir...exactly how long have you been standing there?"

A vindictive smile spread across Luke's pale lips. "Long enough."

I narrowed my eyes. "Listen, sir, it was not what it appeared to be. He was injured while we were out in the woods, earlier this evening," I explained. "It wasn't his fault or anything...Ananke was spooked, and made Percy fall off of her. So I helped him walk back to the castle, and I treated his bruises. That is truthfully all that happened."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Do you realize what would happen to you if anyone else knew that you had been sneaking out with my brother, toying with my brother, even _kissing_ my brother-"

"In my defense, it wasn't really much of a kiss!" I interrupted. "I was just telling him goodnight...sir."

"He told my mother that he was going alone," Luke went on, seemingly ignoring me. "To ride on the trail...by himself...to relax. And instead, he sneaks you out along with him and gets himself injured, and he doesn't even bring back the peaches that our mother wanted."

"I did not know that Hera-er, Her Majesty-was told that he would be going alone," I stammered. "I did not have anything to do with it. Honestly, sir, this is all a misunderstanding. I swear it."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Annabeth Chase, if you tell me that this is all a misunderstanding, then I shall believe you," he murmured sternly, his face inches from my own. "But mark my words, if you do not learn to be more careful, and the wrong person just so happens to see the two of you together, you must be prepared for the consequences."

I steeled myself. "Are you talking about Zeus?"

Luke nodded. "Believe me, sweetheart, if he catches you near Percy, you both had better brace yourselves. The King is not nearly as forgiving as I am. Do I make myself clear?"

I stared defiantly into his icy blue eyes. "Crystal clear...sir."

Satisfied, Luke backed away from me, and without a final word or even a look, he traipsed off to his quarters. I glared after him, and turned to make my way down the stairs. Luke could do everything in his power to scare me, but if Percy wasn't afraid of him, I was determined not to be afraid of him. Besides, I was never frightened of Luke.

Truthfully, it was Zeus who terrified me the most.

I had only ever spoken to His Majesty on a handful of occasions, and that was more than enough. Zeus had a dark, commanding, intimidating demeanor, and I tried as hard as I could not to displease him in any way possible. Of course, if what Luke had said was true, and Zeus did find out that Percy and I were spending a lot of quality time together...it would surely stir up something terrible within Zeus, and Percy and I would be the ones to feel his godlike wrath.

I decided not to think about that, and instead I slipped into the kitchen, blew out the lamps, and shut the door behind me.

The moment the cold air hit my skin, I wrapped my cloak tighter around myself and took off running down the hill toward my family's house. Given the lateness of the hour, I desperately hoped that no one was awake, and I would be able to head off to bed peacefully. I slowed to a stop, unlatched the door, and walked inside.

"Well, hello there! If it isn't our fool of a younger sister!" I heard Thalia's gruff voice yell at me from the foyer.

_Great. So much for going to bed in peace,_ I thought to myself.

Thalia and Clarisse strutted into the kitchen, hideous smiles upon both of their shadowed, ominous-looking faces. Clarisse sneered at me, and I noticed that she was twirling my mother's iron cast of an olive tree between her fingertips. I seethed.

"What are you doing home so late, twit?" she hissed, wagging her finger in my face.

"Working, of course," I answered, crossing my arms. "What else would I be doing?"

Clarisse rolled her eyes. "Most likely a mistruth," she muttered to Thalia. "I'm willing to bet that she was spending some personal time with Prince Percy."

"Oh, my sister, do not say such things!" Thalia growled. "Why would a handsome, sweet, clever, sensitive, brave, courageous, talented, compassionate, generous, fastidious, caring, adventur-"

"Thalia!"

"Oh, fine!" Thalia grumbled. "Like I was saying, why would someone as amazing and dashing as our prince ever fall for the likes of Annabeth?"

"He probably hasn't," Clarisse replied, shooting a glare at me. "My guess is that the only reason he speaks to her at all is out of pity. She _is_ a pathetic little thing, that much is true."

"But how can you be sure?" asked Thalia.

I shook my head. "Well, I'm exhausted, ladies," I murmured, stretching out my arms. "And I have a long couple of days ahead of me, so perhaps I should retire for the night-"

My words were suddenly cut off as Clarisse threw the iron olive tree straight toward me. I ducked, and the olive tree missed my head by no more than an inch, clattering to the ground behind me. Clarisse laughed nastily. "You were saying?" she mocked sweetly.

I reached down to pick up the olive tree, angry tears threatening to fall from my eyes. Thankfully, there wasn't a single scratch on it, and I stood up. "Just what I said. I would like to retire," I repeated.

Thalia walked right up to me. "Does it look like we care?" she asked. I refused to answer for a few seconds, resulting in Thalia delivering a hard punch directly to my stomach. I winced in pain and tried to hold myself back, but my anger got the better of me, and I struck her in the chest in retaliation before I knew what I was doing.

Clarisse gasped. "How dare you!" she snarled at me. And before I could even think to respond, Clarisse was at my throat, squeezing hard and nearly cutting off my air supply completely. I choked and struggled against her grip as she shoved me into a nearby wall, pinning me with no way out and looking me right in the eyes. "Don't you ever touch my sister again," she raged, spewing saliva all over my face. "She did nothing to you that you didn't deserve." And with that, she roughly let go of my throat and sauntered off into the foyer again, Thalia following closely in her wake.

I let out a deep, ragged breath and rubbed my neck, coughing to relieve my airway of the pressure. After a few hacks, I finally stopped and stole a drink of water from our fountain. The cool liquid soothed the pain in my throat as it went down, and I was able to relax. I studied the iron olive tree, running my fingers over the smooth surface.

It had been a gift from my father to my mother, long before I was born, and before bed sometimes, my mother would tell me the story of how it came to be. My father had worked as a blacksmith for a great many years, going all the way back to his youth. He would wander down into the nearest valley, where a small farming community was located. All he was originally supposed to be there to do was hunt rabbits and other game for his family to eat, but before too long, he noticed a young girl with dark hair climbing around in the giant olive trees. He befriended her there, and they spent many days climbing the trees together; my mother always told me that I got my athletic abilities from her, but my father would jokingly suggest otherwise. Eventually, my father proposed marriage to my mother when they came of age, and he convinced her to move out of her little village to be with him. However, for their wedding, he fashioned an iron olive tree in his family's forge, and presented it to her as a gift, telling her that she made a sacrifice in leaving her homeland for him, so he wanted to bring a piece of her home back to her to keep close to her heart forever. My mother would finish the story by telling me that the moment he gave it to her was the moment she knew that they were destined to be together.

The story of how my parents met stuck with me for a long time, and before my mother left me at the young age that I was, I believed that true love was a force stronger than any other. Not only the love between my parents, but the love between my parents and me. The day I came downstairs, the day that my stepfather informed me that my mother was gone, was the day that I stopped believing in true love in any form. I always used to think to myself that if my mother had really loved me, she wouldn't have left me with an abusive family.

She would have taken me with her.

I placed the olive tree in the pocket of my apron and ascended up the stairs, determined not to ever let Clarisse and Thalia touch it again. As I entered my bedroom and discarded my cloak on the floor, I set the iron olive statue underneath my bed to keep it hidden. I settled in for the night and thought of my mother and how much I missed her. I thought of my awful step-family, and how I wanted to escape their clutches forever and live a free life of my own. And as I drifted off into a restless sleep, one more thought appeared in my head.

_Why would Percy ever want to be with someone who has this many problems...like me?_

**(A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update. Life and all that. But anyways, I hope you like this one! And I hope the story of Annabeth's parents isn't too cliche or cheesy or anything, but hey, whatever :) -BlackthornUnicorn98**


	7. A Poem, Some Mice, and a Big Surprise

**Chapter 7 is here! I'm so sorry for the delay. College is a fun time.**

_**(Percy)**_

"Percy? Percy, darling, are you up and about?"

The shouting voice of my mother outside my bedroom door abruptly shook me from my deep, peaceful sleep. I groaned and rolled over onto my back, the damp towel squishing as I fell over it. "What is it, Mother?" I called back.

"May I enter?" she asked.

"I suppose," I answered, pushing myself up into a sitting position. And as my mother entered my quarters, a thought hit me: _My back is no longer hurting me! What did Annabeth do? Did she use some type of rare herb?_ I couldn't believe it, but I barely had time to get over my shock before my mother sat down on my bed next to me.

"Percy, how are you feeling today?" she asked. "Luke informed me this morning that you tumbled off of your horse last night. Is this true?"

I raised an eyebrow, wondering exactly how Luke had gotten that information, but I brushed it aside. "Oh! Yes, Mother. But it wasn't serious, do not worry. There was just a bit of bruising and aching, but it is gone now," I assured her.

"Good," Hera murmured. "I just thought it a good idea to check on you and see how you were faring. Oh, and thank you so much for the peaches! They are delicious!" She ruffled my hair, and without another word, she left the room.

"What in the world?" I muttered to myself. "How did she find out about my fall? And what about the peaches? I never got her the peaches...did I? Whatever could she be talking about?"

Pushing aside my confusion, I grabbed one of my normal, everyday dress shirts, slipped on a pair of boots, and worked my way into an old leather jacket that I hadn't worn in months. I didn't bother with trying to fix my hair, just like usual, and I left my room to go and find Annabeth.

As I entered the kitchen, I spotted the beauty herself, looking as angelic as ever. She was standing on a tall ladder, polishing the ceiling tiles with a wet rag. I cleared my throat. "Annabeth! Good morning!"

She looked down at me and smiled. "Good morning, Percy!" What brings you here at this hour?"

"I wanted to inquire a couple of things of you," I answered. "Just out of curiosity."

"Of course, Percy," Annabeth replied. "Fire away."

"First of all," I began, "did you have a conversation about Luke last night? Did you tell him about my falling off of my horse?"

Annabeth frowned. "He cornered me outside of your bedroom," she mumbled. "I had to tell him."

"What did he say to you?" I asked nervously.

Annabeth shrugged. "Well, he saw me coming out of your room late in the night, so of course he had a few questions," she replied, an edge creeping into her voice. "He told me that as far as he and your mother were concerned, you went off by yourself, and he warned me against letting myself be seen with you in front of your father for any reason. He promised that if it happened, the consequences would be extremely dire...for both of us."

I narrowed my eyes, growing slightly more angry. "He was trying to scare you."

"I suppose," Annabeth replied, a solemn look crossing her face.

"Don't worry about Luke," I said to her. "Please. If he tells my father, then so be it. I will figure out a solution."

"Very well, Percy. Now, what was your second question?" Annabeth asked, clearly desiring a change in the subject.

I smirked. "Oh, right. So, I could be in error, or maybe my memory is somewhat warped from last night, but I must ask...did we ever find those peaches for my mother?"

Annabeth smiled again. "No, Percy. _We _didn't," she said slyly.

I cocked my head. "Then, answer me this: why did my mother traipse into my quarters this morning, thanking me for bring her back peaches?" I asked. "What was the meaning of that?"

Annabeth carefully stepped down from the ladder, folding the rag over her arm. "Because when I woke up today, I remembered that we didn't ever get them last night. You said something about it shortly before we encountered those spies, albeit very briefly. Do you not remember?"

I thought for a moment. Now that I did look back on that night, what she was saying sounded correct.

"I didn't want your mother to feel disappointed," Annabeth continued, "so I went out this morning and picked a basket full of peaches for her and left them at her door. I chose the best ones I could find, because Her Majesty does indeed deserve the best." She smiled, anticipating my response.

I shook my head. "You truly never cease to amaze me, fair maiden," I murmured. "I cannot thank you enough for going out of your way to make my mother happy."

"It was my pleasure," Annabeth replied, beaming from ear to ear.

I couldn't help but smile. "Oh, and while I'm on the subject of last night," I added, "thank you for what you did for me. I don't know how I would have gotten back to the castle without your assistance and support. And thank you for whatever you did to make the pain in my back go away. I can never repay you for your selflessness."

Annabeth glanced meekly up at me, and I swore I saw a faint blush spreading over her pale cheeks. "Of course, Percy," she mumbled. "You know I'd do anything to assist you."

I tenderly took her hand in my own and squeezed it gently. "And you know I would do the same for you," I replied, feeling the soft skin of her palm across the rough surface of mine. "Now, my dear, I must be going. But do not worry. I will see you later on today for another wonderful adventure."

Annabeth grinned. "I look forward to it."

I winked her way, and turned on my heel, heading up the stairs and out of the kitchen. Now, everything made so much more sense than it did before. But I couldn't stop myself from thinking about how nervous Annabeth must have been to stand up to Luke the way that she did; from what she'd told me over the years, Luke was quite an intimidating person in her opinion, and although he didn't exactly _frighten_ her, he certainly made her skin crawl on occasion. However, I knew without Annabeth telling me that she was extremely scared of Zeus, and no matter what it took, I was determined to never let him hurt her as long as I was present.

As I entered my quarters again, a thought came to me. I knew that I would never be allowed to directly tell Annabeth of my true feelings for her. That could not be helped. But there was a way that I could indirectly tell her, and at the same time, I wouldn't directly be communicating it to her. I sat down at my desk, grabbed a nearby piece of parchment and a quill pen, and began to write, my mind swimming with ideas.

After an undetermined amount of time, I finally finished writing. As I began to roll up the parchment into a scroll of sorts, there came a light knock at my door. I opened it to find Nico di Angelo, Bianca's thirteen-year-old brother, who also happened to primarily serve Luke. He stood back nervously and mumbled, "Percy, sir, His Majesty is requesting your presence in the Great Hall. I believe that they are sharing a meal and wanting to discuss a matter that requires your attention."

I smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Nico. I appreciate it," I said. Nico offered me a small smile, and as he turned to leave, I gasped. "Nico, wait! I need you to do me a favor!" I exclaimed. He glanced up at me expectantly, and I grabbed the scroll off of my desk. "Would you mind finding Annabeth and giving this to her when you have a moment to spare?" I asked.

"What is it, sir?" Nico asked.

I tied a ribbon around the scroll to ensure that it stayed closed. "Just a list of birds that we know migrate to the Old Wood," I lied. "She is fascinated by the birds there."

Nico nodded. "Oh, I see," he replied, clearly buying it. "Where might I find Annabeth, sir?"

"I would think that she would either be working in the kitchen or out in the garden," I answered. "You're sure to find her in either of those locations. Thank you, Nico!"

"Of course, Percy, sir! I will get it to her shortly," Nico replied, and took off down the stairs. I couldn't help but smile after him, and with that, I wandered off toward the Great Hall for lunch, with my stomach growling the whole way there.

As I entered the Great Hall, I noticed that my Uncle Hades, my brother, my mother, and my father were all present, but my Uncle Poseidon was nowhere to be found. My mother motioned for me to sit, and I asked, "Mother, where is Poseidon? He is never one to skip a meal."

"Oh, don't worry, darling," she said. "Your uncle is working on the connection of a new trade route off of the River Styx. They have found two new branches off of the River, and Poseidon wants to legitimize them and connect them. Better business, you know."

"I see," I replied. "Well, I shall pray to the gods for his success." As I reached for a piece of pork, a sight across the table caught my eye. There were two men that I hadn't noticed when I walked in, and though I didn't know who they were, there was a quality about them that seemed oddly familiar.

As I leaned over to ask my mother where the two men were from and what they were doing dining with us, my father spoke up. "My dear family, we welcome two extraordinarily special men to our table on this day. Two men who will help us to secure the fate of our kingdom, as well as the fate of their own. We are blessed to be in their presence today."

All of a sudden, it hit me...they were the spies from the Middle Kingdom that Annabeth and I had heard talking in the woods. These were the men who were insinuating that a threat of war and bloodshed could possibly be at hand. I opened my mouth to speak, but my father spoke again. "But before we begin toasting to these two fine specimens, Hades demanded to be heard on a matter. Hades, what is this that you would like to propose?"

"Brother," said Hades, "Our weapons arsenal is running short. Should a sudden conflict occur, we would be low enough on weapons that the army would be exposed and shot down like flies, with very little to defend themselves. It is a great concern of mine at the present time."

Zeus raised an eyebrow. "I hear what you are saying, Hades, but I must ask you again. What are you asking of me?"

Hades took a deep breath and said, "I wish to ask my brother, the almighty Zeus, if he will allow me to use money from the royal treasury to purchase more material and supplies to build up an adequate supply of weapons for the army."

Hera let out a surprised gasp, and the man that I remember as Gerard looked over at Hades with wide eyes. "Preposterous. You demand more money?" Zeus asked.

"I do not demand, my brother," Hades replied. "But I do request. Without a full arsenal, the capabilities of our army are reduced tenfold. You must understand this."

"Hades, this is not possible!" Hera exclaimed, making me jump. "We have used far more of our resources to keep the army on its feet than we should have. We cannot contribute anything more."

"What do you mean, you've used more than you should have?" Luke questioned. "If anything, you must not have used enough of your resources."

Zeus shook his head. "We simply cannot afford it at the current time, Hades," he said. "Surely, you must understand that some things are out of our control."

"I refuse to believe that, my brother," Hades argued. "You have always made sure that our army is undersupplied, with low resources. It has never seemed like an issue of importance to you, if I may be so bold."

Zeus stood up. "Hades, I cannot honor your request at this time, and that decision is final!" he boomed. The room echoed profusely, and nobody spoke for several moments. Finally, when it became clear that Hades was not going to argue any further, Zeus sat down and continued to eat his food, as if nothing had happened.

"So, my good sirs, are you in good spirits today?" Hera awkwardly asked the two spies, reaching for a container on the table. "Would either of you like some wine with your meal?"

Edgar shook his head. "Oh, I must refuse, Your Majesty," he replied. "But I thank you for your kind offer!"

"I will not be needing any, either, but I appreciate your generosity as well," Gerard agreed.

Hera simply nodded, and set the canteen of wine back on the table.

Zeus spoke up. "So, gentlemen. Back to the matter at hand. My wife and I have deliberated with my brothers, and we have come to the consensus-"

"Father, you must excuse me for a few moments," Luke interrupted, rising from the table. "I've just remembered a very important task that I have entrusted Nico with this afternoon, and I must make sure that he knows how to properly execute it."

I glanced up, realizing that Luke was likely about to find Nico delivering my scroll to Annabeth. "Oh, I'll go too," I added, following Luke out of the room before either of my parents could protest.

In the corridor, Luke glanced back at me. "Why are you following me, brother?" he asked. "What business do you have with Nico or myself?"

I shrugged, managing to catch up to him. "I just wanted to accompany you!" I lied. "Besides, this is more exciting than sitting in the Great Hall, listening to some uninteresting conversation about political affairs."

Luke looked as if he was about to say more when he was interrupted by the voice of Nico himself, not far down the corridor. "Master Luke?" he called.

My eyes widened when I saw the boy, but as I noticed, he no longer possessed the scroll that I had instructed him to give to Annabeth, so Luke didn't even have to know.

"Hello, Nico," Luke greeted him.

"Hello, Master Luke, sir," Nico replied. "Oh, Percy, sir! I followed your orders and carried out the task you assigned me!"

_Oh no_, I thought. _Why couldn't he have kept his mouth shut?_

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Percy? What task does he speak of?" he asked.

"Oh, he requested that I deliver a private scroll to the handmaiden Annabeth!" Nico piped up. "I succeeded, Percy, sir!"

Luke shot me a look that seemed to be demanding an explanation, and I glanced at Nico. "Thank you," I muttered.

"You are dismissed," Luke added. Nico nodded cheerfully to both of us, and skipped off down the corridor, eventually disappearing from sight. Luke watched him go before turning on me. "What private scroll did you have Nico deliver to Annabeth?!" he demanded.

"It was nothing, brother!" I exclaimed. "Honest!"

"Percy, you know what Father would do if he heard of this, do you not?" Luke asked, his expression darkening. "How many times must you be warned of this?"

"I know what Father would say!" I replied defiantly. "And I know what he would do, too. But Luke, I'm being truthful. It was just a bit of writing. I use a lot of my spare time to write for myself, and sometimes I let Annabeth read my writing. Nico just happened to catch me this morning as I finished it, when Mother and Father summoned me for the meal. Since he was there and not otherwise occupied, I requested that he deliver it to her."

Luke crossed his arms. "Father would have an aneurysm, you know," he said. "Even if there is nothing romantically going on between you and Annabeth, he's very good at overanalyzing."

"I'm aware of that fact," I replied. "But I can assure you, my brother, there is nothing more going on between the two of us. I know better than that." As the words left my mouth, I felt a strong sense of disappointment in myself for being too frightened to stand up to my father on behalf of Annabeth and myself.

Luke nodded. "Very well, Percy. I believe you," he murmured. "Now, why don't you go tend to Ananke? Rumor has it that she wasn't properly put away last night."

I rolled my eyes and brushed past my brother without another word.

_**(Annabeth)**_

"And she was running around in the garden, looking for all of the frogs!" I exclaimed, giggling.

Piper had opted to come to the kitchen and assist me in my afternoon chores, with permission from the Queen of course, and I had just finished telling her about my adventure with Bianca in the garden. Piper was laughing hysterically at the image, and I couldn't help but join her.

"Did she find any of the frogs and smuggle them into her home?" Piper asked.

I shook my head. "Not that I know of. I was extremely diligent about checking her pockets, so if she did manage to get one of those creatures home, it is simply not my fault!"

"Well of course not!" Piper agreed. "There's nothing else you could have-"

_Squeeeeak!_

I froze. "What was that? Piper, did you hear that?"

She nodded. "Do you think it was a mouse? It sure sounded-"

_Squeeak squeeeeeak!_

I gasped. "Piper, there's a mouse in the kitchen! We have to find it before somebody else does!" I exclaimed.

At that moment, Piper and I began to listen intently for the squeaking of the mouse, hoping to stop the tiny little creature in its tracks. "It's over here!" Piper exclaimed, pointing to a shelf full of kitchenware on the far side of the room.

She ran over, grabbing a bowl strainer and placing it in position, preparing to capture the minute rodent, when I heard another squeak. "No, it's over here!" I armed myself with a large glass jar and and slid underneath the sink, looking around for the creature.

"Wait! Annabeth!" I heard Piper say. I poked my head out from underneath the sink, and saw Piper standing near the wooden cart that I hadn't been able to move the day before. I scuttled over and paused, watching the floor carefully. And as I listened, I could hear not one, but two sets of tiny mouse feet, darting around on the floor.

"There's two of them!" I whispered to Piper. "Get ready to trap one!"

She nodded, and put her strainer in position again. We didn't have to wait longer than a few seconds before both of the mice scampered out from underneath the cart. "Got it!" Piper and I exclaimed in unison as we slammed our dishes down on the floor and trapped the two little mice safely underneath them.

"Hey, great work!" Piper laughed. "Now, let's get them out of the kitchen before someone walks in and wonders what is going on." Slowly, she turned her strainer over, scooping up her mouse in the process. I scooped mine up as well and the two of us walked over to the back door and opened it.

"Go on, now," I said softly as we crouched down and tipped our dishes over.

"Be free, little fellows," Piper added.

The two mice dashed out into the afternoon sun and disappeared, and Piper and I began to giggle. "Is it odd that I'm feeling a bit sorrowful now?" I asked.

"No, I feel the same way," Piper agreed. "Those creatures are quite adorable."

"What creatures are adorable?" a voice behind us asked.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I whirled around to face Nico. "Oh, hello Nico!" I said nervously. "Don't you worry yourself about it. What is your business here?"

"I have been sent by the prince. He personally asked me to deliver you this scroll," Nico explained, holding a golden roll of parchment out to me.

"Which prince?" Piper asked cautiously.

"Percy," Nico replied as I took the scroll. "I ran into him as he was being summoned to the Great Hall. That is everything that I have come to say." Without another word, Nico turned and exited the room.

I raised an eyebrow. "What would Percy be sending me?" I wondered aloud. "Is it another list of chores that I must accomplish?"

Piper shrugged. "It does not matter. The prince sent you something! Personally!" she exclaimed giddily.

I smirked at her and unrolled the parchment. There was text written, but it was written so elegantly, so beautifully, that it nearly took my breath away. "Oh, Percy," I breathed.

"He wrote you a poem!" Piper chirped excitedly. "Oh, Annabeth, you must read it! Tell me what it says!"

I nodded, and skimmed over the page.

_**Blinded**_

_**Blinded am I.**_

_**Blinded by the beauty that I see.**_

_**I would give her a thousand years**_

_**If she could have but one more moment with me.**_

_**A sip of sweet eternity is she**_

_**Never so wondrous was any other taste**_

_**Time has ticked away from us**_

_**What would I do if I could never again see her face?**_

_**Know not, do I**_

_**What could possibly shine more bright**_

_**Than the glowing eyes of the beautiful one I see**_

_**Who leads me into the light.**_

_**Blinded am I by love.**_

"Wow," I murmured.

Piper was aghast. "Mercy! I never knew that the prince was a poet!" she said incredulously.

"He is a truly amazing poet," I replied dreamily. "As a matter of fact, he's been showing his work to me for many years now."

Piper's eyes widened. "Annabeth...do you think he wrote this poem about you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Piper, that is simply absurd," I said. "Why would he write such an intricate, personal love poem about me? He has no feelings for me; this is obviously directed at someone else."

"Is it so unbelievable?" Piper asked. "Annabeth. I see the way that the prince looks at you sometimes. You would not dare tell me that this poem doesn't mean anything."

"I do," I murmured. "I do believe that it means nothing. Percy is a prince, Piper. And I...well, I'm just me. I'm spectacularly unordinary, and that shall never change. And I am not going to tear myself apart inside, wondering about some love poem that a close friend of mine shared with me. I just will not do it. It's a waste of time."

"Alright, Annabeth. I understand," Piper replied. "But regardless, I suggest that you go to him and thank him for the beautiful poem. Tell him what a great writer he is. He would appreciate that coming from anyone, but especially from you."

I smiled. "I believe you are correct, Piper. I shall do it." And with that, I took off up the staircase, eager to find Percy.

"Now, let's see. Nico said he was on his way to the Great Hall," I murmured to myself. "Very likely for a meal. That means that he must still be there! Oh, I am so excited!" I giggled and continued venturing up the stairs and into the corridor. As I approached the Great Hall, I felt my heartbeat quicken. I hoped that he was still there, so I could express my gratitude to him for showing me such a wonderful piece of poetry.

As I neared the entrance, I heard Zeus' booming voice. "Well, that is it! The deal is sealed."

I peeked into the Great Hall, and my eyes fell on the table. I did not see Percy, but I could clearly see the King, the Queen, Commander Hades, Luke, and two men whom I did not recognize. _What deal could he be referring to?_ I thought.

I heard Hera's voice next, and she didn't sound happy. "Darling, please. Don't act rashly here. If you would just simply reconsider…"

"Reconsider? Ha!" Zeus said. "Woman, you ask me to reconsider a deal that you helped me to make! Ridiculous, I say!"

Hera let out an exasperated sigh. "Zeus, I know that you are thinking about the wellbeing of your kingdom. And as admirable and commendable as that is, I believe that you should also consider the wellbeing of your son. What's he going to do when he finds out? Are you prepared for everything that could come from that?"

My eyes widened, and I wondered if she was talking about Percy. _Could that be why he isn't here? Because they want to decide whatever this is without him?_

"Mother, I understand your worry," Luke said. "I truly do. But we must sign this agreement to stop the threat of warfare. King Jupiter is not someone we want as an enemy, I can assure you. And we really cannot afford a war right now, and I don't plan to take the risks associated with one, either. What about you, Mother? Would you be willing to risk our people's lives and go completely broke when we have the option of forming this alliance with the Middle Kingdom to avoid it all?"

"I wouldn't. It's just that...I deeply worry about Percy," Hera moaned. "What would any one of you do if you were forced into a life or a situation you didn't want, all because of a threat? How would you feel, knowing that the life that you had lived and the people you knew would be forcibly taken away from you forever?"

I frowned. _What on earth could Hera be talking about?_

"Now, Hera, perhaps you're being a bit overdramatic," Hades sneered derisively. "If you really think about it, this has been predicted to happen for many years. And now it's finally happening. We cannot stop fate, my dear. And you cannot stop Percy from fulfilling his destiny, just like you can't stop anyone else from fulfilling theirs, or yourself from fulfilling your own."

Hera sighed, and gave Zeus a final pleading look. "Zeus, please," she begged, her tone softer than before. "He's just a boy. He's _our_ boy. You can't do this."

Zeus looked down at what appeared to be the official document that would be used to signify the political alliance. "Dear, I can. And I am." He raised his seal, and slammed it down on the document. "Tomorrow night, at his birthday gala, it shall be announced that Percy Jackson, my youngest son and prince of the North Olympian Kingdom, will be married to Rachel, princess of the Middle Kingdom, within the fortnight."

At his words, my breath caught in my throat, and I nearly choked. So _that_ was the real reason that they were throwing Percy a pointless birthday gala? To announce his _engagement_? For a political alliance? I refused to believe what I was hearing. I _couldn't_ believe it.

Nevertheless, I _could_ feel the hot, angry tears falling from my eyes, but I made no move to wipe them away. I stood there, with Percy's love poem clenched in my right hand, and my eyes fell on Hera. She wept silently for her son and for herself, with the inability to stop what was to happen. I couldn't help but feel for her, weep for her. I knew that I was being selfish, only thinking of my own feelings when there were other people around who cared for him just as much as I did. Regardless, I gripped the wall and began to sob quietly, watching the royal family continue their conversation.

And that's when Hera spotted me.

I gasped softly, my heart missing a beat or two as her icy blue eyes landed on me. In that instant, I felt so utterly ashamed of myself, and I backed away from the door before breaking into a full run. As I ran back toward the kitchen, I mentally scolded myself. _Come on, Annabeth. You're better than this. You're crying over losing a boy that was never even yours to begin with, no matter how much you wanted him to be._

As I descended down the stairwell, I steeled myself and wiped my eyes. I opened the door and stepped in, immediately greeted by Piper. "So, what did he say?" she asked excitedly.

I smiled weakly. "He was glad to know I liked it," I lied.

Piper giggled. "Did he tell you who the poem was for?" she pried. "Did he write it about you?"

I stared straight ahead, holding back tears. "No, Piper. The poem wasn't about me. It could never be about me."

**(A/N: I apologize for not updating sooner. College life is a rollercoaster ride, and I'm lucky if I get any time at all to work on my stories.)**


End file.
